How A Mosquito Net Was A Dream Come True

Saphyra swatted again and felt the satisfying splat of a mosquito’s demise. She turned over only to discover another mosquito buzzing over her head. Saphyra sighed. It would be another restless night. How many would this be in a row? She had lost count.

Closing her eyes, Saphyra prayed for sleep. She could only hope the mosquito’s bite would not bring sickness—or death.

It would take only one bite from a mosquito carrying a disease like malaria or dengue to make Saphyra or one of her family members ill. Living in an area prone to vector-borne diseases, they could easily become one of the 700,000 people who die each year from such illnesses.

A Family’s Struggle to Survive

Saphyra’s parents were poor agricultural workers. The family struggled financially even when its members were healthy. If they became sick, they wouldn’t be able to work, which would strain an already meager income.

In rural places such as Saphyra’s village, there is often no access to medical facilities or care. Even if there were, Saphyra’s parents and other wage laborers who struggle to feed their families cannot afford the extra expenses of medical treatment, so they are left to suffer in their illness. The longer they remain sick, the more they miss work—and the income they could have earned—and the more they struggle to provide for their families. Poverty and sickness become a vicious cycle.

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Mosquito nets can mean the difference between life and death for those vulnerable to vector-borne diseases, yet poverty often keeps them from obtaining this essential protection. You can fulfill someone’s dream of a restful night’s sleep—safe from devastating mosquito bites—by providing a mosquito net for people who can’t protect themselves.