As many of you know, Malawi was hit with massive flooding in recent weeks. Standing water is still present. Due to this, there has been an increase of the presence of pesky mosquitoes, and along with mosquitoes comes malaria.
In America, we do not face the disease because of medical institutions, screens on our windows and so on . In the summer we spray bug spray, and if that doesn’t work and we do get bit, we just have to deal with the minor irritation and itchiness. However, Malawi, number four on the list of top ten countries affected by Malaria (Compassion International), gets infected with Malaria within seconds of being bit.
What is it like to have Malaria? This disease begins with one troublesome bite. Within seconds, the malaria infection travels through the blood stream and into the liver. The first few symptoms will resemble the flu: including nausea, fever, and head-ache (no one likes that!). It only gets worse from there. The next symptoms to develop could be a plethora or all of these things: coma, shock, seizures, severe anemia, respiratory distress, brain infection, and liver failure. All of these horrible, horrible, symptoms from an entirely preventable disease. (Compassion International).
In 2010, Malawi was estimated to have 6.9 million people infected.
Because of the recent flooding, at Agape Scholars, we have a few who are dealing with these effects of Malaria.
So, what can you do to help?
Firstly, pray! The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Second, consider giving. We have established a gofundme page http://www.gofundme.com/malawifloods and for those who live in Greenville, from 2/16-2/20 our interns will be sitting in the Dining Commons to collect donations.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito.” – African Proverb
Sources:
Compassion International (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/206673070372486640/)