First drop off in Sahn where the nets would be divided among different villages for further delivery.
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Nets were delivered to every village in the southern half of the Malen Chiefdom.
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Volunteers and locals relax together.
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Walking to Nyanyahun through the forest
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Traveling to the villages required dedication, and balance!
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Travelling to reach the outlying villages.
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Volunteers and locals worked to unload the nets.
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Villages had signs of turmoil, such as this building burned by rebels.
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The Global Minimum team with the villagers of Sahn.
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A soccer tournamet was organized for the 10 big villages that received nets.
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Families welcomed volunteer distributors.
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Families welcomed volunteer distributors.
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Meetings often included skits as well as directions about how to use bednets. The importance for use with kids under five years old was emphasized.
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These children will be among those most helped by the net distribution. Currently, one child dies of malaria in Africa every 30 seconds.
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Household visits in Gbangba help explain to families how they will benefit from the use of a net.
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House to house deliveries of bednets bring supplies to those being served. This also allowed the volunteer teams to assess how many actual sleeping spaces needed protection, since children likely do not sleep on beds but rather on the floor or on sleeping mats.
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Net use is explained so that children like the baby on his mother's back will outlive the odds. 70% of the 1-2 million malaria deaths a year are in children under 5 years old.
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One bednet serves to cover multiple family members. The average number of people served per net on this distribution was 2.3.
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Proper net usage is demonstrated. Use by pregnant woman and children is emphasized--since they are at greatest risk of death from malaria.
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Families put up nets to begin sleeping in safe, comfortable spaces.
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Net deliveries and education ensure that the familes follow through. Every household in all 35 villages received a personal visit on this distribution.
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In Sierra Leone, covering beds with nets was only the first step, as those most vulnerable to malaria, the children, often slept on the floor. The team then provided enough nets for all sleeping areas--not just beds!
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Households often had 10 or more people living in them. These children are among those who will receive the greatest benefit from sleeping beneath a net.
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Net use was demonstrated in a town meeting before home visits were made to each home for net set up.
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Each household was taught how to use the nets properly and that every sleeping space needs to be covered.
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Unpacking a net to cover this baby and her mother. Enough children to fill 7 jumbo jets die each day from this preventable and treatable disease.
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The villagers welcomed the distribution crew.
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Putting up nets to cover all sleeping areas can be a difficult task since family members sleep on beds and on the floor.
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The end goal is reached. A child sleeps under a bednet--safe from attacking malaria ridden mosquitoes.
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