“Giggles and Grins: Keneya Sugu, the Health Market”

Last night we left the city and traveled three hours east to the rural areas of Segou and Niono. I was looking forward to leaving the city because when I travel I always seem to be drawn towards the smaller communities. We stayed in Segou and traveled a farther two hours to Niono. I loved Niono. The first site we went to was organized chaos. Mothers had been lining up since dawn and the crowd seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. Babies were crying and the little ones were walking around carrying their nets on top of their tiny heads.
The routine was that the children would receive their measles vaccination last since it involved a needle. They would first be given the Vitamin A supplement with the deworming tablet, and then the oral polio vaccination. Finally you could see the fear in their eyes when they spotted the needle. I felt for them because even though I’m full-grown I still hate getting needles. I cry and I’m talking about big crocodile tears. Finally the mothers were given the nets and the Red Cross volunteer marked each child with an edible marker on their fingernail to keep track of those who had already accessed the services.
In order to videotape the amount of people at this particular site, I had to climb onto a nearby wall just to get the full scope of the crowd. Getting up the wall was a piece of cake but when it was time to get down, I became chicken and one of the elders at the site had to practically carry me down. I think I broke his back.
The next site we went to was about a 10-minute drive away. When the little ones saw my camera, they surrounded me with ‘Ca va’ and ‘Bonjour’. I flipped the viewfinder of my video camera around so that they could see themselves and they lost it. Their faces broke out into big big big smiles as they yelled for their friends to come see. I was smiling so hard that my cheeks started to hurt. It didn’t take very much to make their day and in those moments I was filled with intense happiness.
After that we went to a few more sites and at our last stop, we met up with some of the Red Cross volunteers who distributed the nets on their scooters and bikes. For the families that lived further than 10-15km from a fixed site such as a health centre, the volunteers would take the vaccinations and nets to them. To me, this showed how much thought had taken place to ensure that no one was left out. It would have been so easy to place the responsibility on the mothers to travel to the nearest site but all things considered to stand in line in the blazing sun with sometimes two crying babies was already challenging enough.
The final site we went to was in a nearby village in Segou but it was across the river. How great was it that we actually took a canoe across to deliver the nets and vaccinations? And I’m not talking about a titanium canoe or what canoes are made of in North America. This was a canoe that was hand curved, made by hand and could hold 6-7 grown folk in it. When we docked at the village, I was taken aback that there weren’t more than 50 people in the community.
We made our way to the Chief of the village to introduce ourselves and he welcomed us warmly. His house was framed by a slew of mango trees. Noora, the IFRC delegate from Dakar and I joked about how great it would be to have mangos at our front door. I would probably overdose on them.
The women in the village were all dressed in beautiful fabrics and their hair was immaculately plaited. The Chief’s wife, I’m assuming, laughed from her belly when I showed her the picture I had taken of her. She was one of the many women preparing a delicious smelling meal of fish. As the vaccinations were drawing to a close, a young boy with a mischievous grin told us to come with him to ‘mangez’. Wendell, the CRC photographer and I followed him with rumbling bellies but when we showed up with our cameras, the women dashed into their homes. Wendell joked that they were practicing for the 50 metre dash.
When we got back into the canoes it seemed as if all of the kids from the village were there to see as leave. After a few more pictures, some more giggles and high-fives, we waved goodbye and started our journey back to the city.

"How To Move A Bed Net”

“Nothing like this going on in the world right now” – Rear Adm. Tim Ziemer, U.S. Malaria Coordinator, speaking at the press conference for the launch of the Malaria Campaign, Bamako, Mali


At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, I had no idea what it took or how many people were involved in making this kind of event come together. Yes 2.3 million nets is a significant amount yet somehow I hadn’t entertained logistically how the nets would be distributed.

So what does it take to make this happen? Here are some of the numbers: Mali is the size of California and Tennessee put together. It’s also a landlocked country so the nets had to be brought in from the port in Dakar, Senegal. The nets were transported in 55 40-foot containers. They took a week to get to Mali and then they were distributed by road and rail. It was a challenge to transport to all of the centers and the longest time it took was 12 days. Keeping in mind that some areas were flooded, there were broken bridges to cross and axils to fix and it’s amazing that logistically the nets got to the sites in time.

With determination the nets were distributed by truck, motorcycle and canoe to the various health sites, villages and other community centers throughout Mali. It took 2, 500 Malian Red Cross volunteers and an additional 13, 000 volunteers to make things happen. These dedicated volunteers went door to door in order to get the word out to the various communities. And what totally blew my mind was that even the most remote of villages was made accessible by scooter or canoe. No one was to be left out.
On December 13, the campaign officially kicked off and I was standing only a few feet away the President of the country. How crazy is that? Anyway, in his speech President Amadou Toumani Toure stressed the importance of good health for his country. He was well received by mainly a crowd of young children and mothers. A band kept the celebratory atmosphere alive. Malaria is nothing to celebrate but the fact that these families were receiving essential services including a bed net which had been economically unattainable, this was reason enough to celebrate. Basically the atmosphere was filled with a national pride that was contagious.

“Mobilizing the Community” – day 2

When I first arrived to Mali, I was under the impression that this campaign was just about mosquito net distribution but since meeting with Pat Laberge the Malaria Program Manager at the Canadian Red Cross I’ve learned that it’s much more than that.

Pat has been with the CRC since 1994 and before that she was a teacher in South Africa (1990-94) towards the end of Apartheid rule. Her first mission with the CRC was in Rwanda. I can only imagine what she experienced or saw in those years. Pat said something that’s stuck with me since I met her: ‘We will always have conflict but we should work with conflict in a constructive manner’. Needless to say, I was really impressed with her.

So I’ve now learned that the campaign here in Mali isn’t just about Malaria. It’s about improving a child’s survival to any illness and their overall health. Their are 5 interventions: vaccinations for measles and polio, Vitamin A, Mebendazole for worms and the insecticide treated mosquito nets. These interventions all compliment each other in preventing illness and in aiding a child be healthier. In this way, the Red Cross is helping to build the capacity in Mali's health system.
I have a two-year-old nephew and I’ve been there practically at every single doctor’s appointment since he was born. When he was a certain age, he had to be vaccinated for certain illnesses. For most countries in the developing world, most people do not have access to vaccinations. Something that is a right to us is often times unattainable elsewhere. After finding all of this out, I’m even more amazed at the power of what $7 can do.

On my second day in Mali, I was able to go door-to-door with the Malian Red Cross volunteers. It was very cool to discover that a group of volunteers weren’t flown in from Canada for this project but instead the mission represents those from the very communities who are at risk. It was impressive to see the volunteers go from each home and to speak to the families about the campaign. They explained to them that the program was for children under the age of 5 who are the most vulnerable. They told them about the 5 interventions and about where they should go the day of the program. The Red Cross has tried to ensure that all families have access to the health centers. Depending on how far they lived from the nearest fixed site, a truck or a motorbike would transport the nets to their homes. The most important thing was to try to ensure access for all the Malian families with children under the age of 5.

It was something to watch the Malian Red Cross volunteers interacting with the local community. When we walked into their family compounds we were always welcomed with smiles and curiosity. The opportunity to have their children’s health improved was something that was clearly universal.

“Mali For Malaria” – day 1

My flight into Bamako airport in Mali was filled with some really bad Franglais (what I call my French language skills), light turbulence that still left me green in the face and it seems as if from the moment that the plane hit the tarmac, I was in love with Mali.
While I muddled through my French, I somehow managed to secure an entry Visa, exchange my pounds into the local CFA currency and then I navigated my way through the manic rush hour-like atmosphere at baggage check. There were a lot of bodies, a lot of suitcases and very little space to move around. I enjoyed every second of it.
After I made my way to the parking lot, I was picked up by Nicholas who’s been living in Mali since July and by the lovely Nathalia, both Red Cross delegates and both trilingual; French, Spanish and English. How amazing is that? Did I mention that I’m still trying to master English?
As we pulled out of the airport, I took a deep breathe of Malian air and ditched my winter coat. Although it was nearing midnight, the drive into Bamako, the country’s capital, was eventful. There were scooters zipping up and down the busy highway, people walking on the side of the road and the horizon of the city was filled with lights.
The Canadian Red Cross has invited me to Mali for it’s largest net distribution to date. Along with insecticide treated mosquito nets, the Red Cross and its various partners have taken the initiative to administer measles and polio vaccinations and to provide Vitamin A supplements and deworming medicines to all of Mali’s children under the age of 5. Over the next few days I will learn about these 5 interventions and the importance of their integration.
Truth be told I didn’t know very much about Malaria until I became sick with it. Even after I was diagnosed I wasn’t as scared until I saw firsthand what it could do under such a short period of time. So imagine the damage it can do on a small child who isn’t as strong?
Even though we live in Canada, this disease is closer than we think. As more of us travel, Malaria can hit closer to home through our friends and family. Being here for this campaign will be something I will never forget. I will be a part of an experience that will essentially change so many lives.
Upon checking into the hotel, I unpack my bags and power up my laptop. I sleep lightly as I am eagerly anticipating what’s to come over the next few days.