Goodbye Burundi -- It's been a blast!

April 11, 2010
I returned to Canada yesterday after an exciting nine days in Burundi. It was an experience I'll never forget! Sylvie and I departed on Friday after spending the morning at the Burundi Red Cross office. We said our farewells to the staff with promises to keep in touch.

As I said goodbye to a Burundi staff member named Joseph he said something that I found very meaningful. "We work for a unique organization," he commented. "Even though we have just met, I can't help but feel that we are all brothers and sisters no matter what country we come from, because we are coming from the Red Cross."

Although I am back in Canada, I'm am happy to know that the fight against malaria in Burundi will carry on. Tomorrow, the hang-up campaign begins to ensure nets are properly used. Also, the Burundi Red Cross will continue to do it's great work to further train volunteers about malaria and work with communities to help prevent it. Many of the tools created for this campaign will be put to good use beyond this campaign such as the CD with songs that teach valuable malaria tips.

Best of luck Burundi!

The final few nets

April 8, 2010
Today was the final net distribution day in Burundi. With the exception of a few sites that will remain open tomorrow to ensure all nets are received, this portion of the campaign is over.

On the final day we visited a few more distribution sites. Many had begun to slow down, indicating that the families in that area have all received their nets. As we drove around, I couldn't help but notice the many people walking along the street with nets. We saw nets in baskets, arms and balanced on heads. We also saw nets hanging on clothes lines in the shade to air out before being placed over sleeping spaces, an indication of the strong communication activities of Burundi Red Cross volunteers.

After a long four days of work, the Red Cross team that worked on the campaign met for a final meeting and celebratory dinner. This dinner included mostly Burundi Red Cross staff members, but also employees from the Canadian Red Cross, Belgium Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and other health partners in Burundi.

Dr. Jessie Nzenza Kanhutu, the heath and care coordinator for the IFRC's Easter Africa Zone, commented on the dedication of the Burundi Red Cross and the team work shown throughout the distribution.

"This campaign brought together the humanitarian community," she said. "Imagine, all this work and effort to kill a female Anopheles mosquito so that it will not have a chance to hurt male and female humans."

Who knew that killing a mosquito would be cause for celebration, but in a malaria endemic country like Burundi, it certainly is. Cheers to that!

Celebrating the fight against malaria

April 5, 2010

Today, Burundi marked the launch of its malaria campaign with singing, dancing and the magnificant beats from their drums. A commencement event was organized by the Burundi Red Cross to celebrate this important campaign.

The event was held in the province of Bubanza in an area called Mpanda. When we arrived there were a sea of Red Cross volunteers and about a hundred people.

A distribution table was set up in one area of the event grounds and an example net was set up. The event began when the Vice President of Burundi, Gabriel Ntisezerana, arrived. He gave a brief demonstration on how to properly hang a net and provided nets to a few young mothers. He then made his way to the other area for speeches.

Traditional drummers welcomed him and the crowd. Their magnicant beats, combined with their smiles, helped maintain the overall positive tone of the event.

My Canadian Red Cross colleague told me that Burundi drummers are among the best in all of Africa. After hearing them today, I have no doubt that it is true. They entertained the crowd and provided rhythm for traditional dancers.

A group of actors performed two skits toward the end of the event. The first was the story of a young mother who learned the importance of her net. The second was a demonstration of how the distribution process works -- that people will exchange their vouchers for nets. It was an entertaining way to provide important malaria information.

I saw many young mothers at the event, happily waiting to receive their nets. "Generally, I think nets are really important, but not everyone is fortunate enough to own one," said Alice Ndacayisaba, a mother who attended the event with her 2-month-old baby. "I think this is very good."

Over 521,000 nets will be distributed in three provinces at more than 130 distribution points. According to the Secretary General of the Burundi Red Cross, because one net can protect up to two people, the campaign will reach around one million people.

Ever wondered what social moblization is?

April 3, 2010
Today I received a CD from Carmen, the Canadian Red Cross project manager for the net distribution. She indicated it had been made for the campaign. Curious, I popped it into the computer to listen.

The songs are in Kirundi, the local language and were great! I asked Carmen for more details and learned that the six-song disc is part of their social mobilization strategy.

Social mobilization is an integral part of the Canadian Red Cross malaria program. Through both local and larger-scale activities, communities are encouraged to participate in the net campaign. It is important that people know details about the campaign and also its importance.

For this campaign, the Burundi, Belgium and Canadian Red Cross' planned both grassroots and mobilization and promotion on a grander scale. Some activities are already complete, while more will take place after the distribution. With support from international partners, this strategy has already reached thousands of people.

Red Cross volunteers play an important role in this strategy. Early in the project, the conducted a door-to-door census to determine the number of nets needed. This allowed them to not only count people, but spread the word about the campaign. Later, they made a second visit to distribute the vouchers that will be exchanged for nets, providing another opportunity to communicate.

For wider promotion, the CD was produced. Local muscians recorded songs about malaria prevention to bring attention to the campaign and provide valuable information. All radio stations in the area have the disc and are encouraged to play the songs.

Other activities included creating t-shirts, hats, posters and banners to increase campaign visibility. A radio public service announcement was also created, and the communications officer for the Belgium Red Cross noted that she'd heard it being played this morning on her drive the office.

The campaign kicks off tomorrow with an event where media is expected to attend, which will help reach even more people. When the distribution has ended, the final step is the hang-up campaign, where volunteers go door-to-door to ensure proper net usage.

Day 1 – Burundi Red Cross volunteers

April 2, 2010

Today was my first full day in Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi. My colleague Sylvie and I arrived late last night so it wasn’t until this morning that I got my first glimpse of Burundi.

Bujumbura is a lively city, lush and green with traffic moving in orderly chaos. Our first stop was the Burundi Red Cross office. It is a simple, white building with Burundi Red Cross Land Cruisers parked in its lot. The staff and volunteers greeted us with smiles and handshakes giving an overall welcoming feeling.

Later in the morning I left Sylvie behind to iron out logistical and planning details with our project manager Carmen, while I joined three Burundi Red Cross workers, along with two communications officers from the Belgium Red Cross for a field visit. Wearing my Canadian Red Cross shirt with my camera charged and ready, we made our way to two villages where Burundi Red Cross volunteers were going door-to door to deliver vouchers to households. These vouchers will be exchanged during our net campaign, which runs April 5-8.

I’ve always known the value of local Red Cross volunteers, but it was inspiring to see this first-hand. They speak the local languages and their relationship with beneficiaries was clearly comfortable and friendly. They explained the importance of using a net and information regarding the upcoming distribution.

The second village visit was cut short due to heavy rainfall, but the drive there was breathtaking. The village was located in an area called Mubimbi, and was nestled in the mountains. We arrived just in time for the downpour and immediately noticed a volunteer huddled beneath an overhanging roof, waiting for the rain to subside. A second volunteer, bundled up in a rain coat with a Red Cross umbrella, continued to make his way through the town, despite the rain and mud.

Day one is nearing its end and I am pleased to have witnessed smiling people receiving their vouchers – assurance that soon they will receive life-saving nets and sleep protected from malaria.

The Big Day

March 29, 2010
Tomorrow is the big day – my colleague Sylvie Zangger, program officer for the Canadian Red Cross malaria program, and I will board our plane and head to Africa – more specifically, to Burundi. The Canadian Red Cross will be distributing over 521,000 life-saving mosquito nets there. This will be my first time participating.

I’ve been working as part of the communications team for Malaria Bites since it launched in 2007, although the Canadian Red Cross malaria program itself has been doing great work since 2003. I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to see first-hand how our work is making a difference in communities in Africa. The Canadian Red Cross malaria program has distributed over 6 million nets in Africa so far, and trained over 25,000 African Red Cross volunteers, thanks to the generosity of Canadians.

For this campaign, a big thank you must also go out to the Belgium Red Cross, whose funding has allowed this distribution to be as large and far-reaching as it is.

I can’t wait to get there and share my experiences with all you!