Mosquito Nets!!!

Last week I finally did some work! We started off the 2010 Universal Net Coverage campaign for Senegal. There are a couple NGOs involved including Malaria No More, Netlife, and PNLP (the Senegalese government org against malaria). We started last Monday with the training of the local health workers at the Health Post in Dindefelo. The training was to teach them how to do an effective census of the people in the surrounding towns, find out how many beds in each household, and how many nets were needed.

I spent the next 3 days going around with my counterpart Nene Galle and my other counterpart’s wife, Sadio, (he was out of town). We went compound to compound all over my Pellel’s 5 quartiers...it was a long 3 days, but good because I got to meet everyone and also introduce myself as the new volunteer, one guy was so excited to meet me he gave me 6 bananas.

Then on Friday we did an early net distribution in Dindefelo, the touristy town 7k from mine. I won’t be distributing the nets in Pellel until the 2^nd or 3^rd of July but this happened so early on because the NGO who paid for the nets wanted to do a big press event. So, of course, they flew in some American celebrities...most notable was the actor who play Andy from the Office, who was also in the Hangover. There were some comedians I had seen randomly before on TV, and then some others who have done some smaller roles. Either way, it was nice to have them there and the net distribution went quickly and smoothly. Afterwards they filmed some stuff for some malaria awareness clips that will be out on the internet later this fall. I’ll post a link to that site once they’re done with it and have it up.

Labeling the nets so no one tries to resell them, organising them into households for pickup

Some of the crowd, waiting to get their nets

Meera, Hannah & I and the celebrities

Aside from that, we had 3 days of language training in Dindefelo, our teacher drove in. Back at the regional house for a day or two to email, blog & photo post, and buy a new bike rack because mine snapped; these roads out here are rough! Looking forward to net distributions at the end of this month and then the big Kedougou 4^th of July party!