This Child’s Letter Reminded Us Why We Do What We Do
As we were going through the archives at Urunji Child-Care Trust recently, we came across a letter written by a young boy named Chisomo from rural Malawi.
A few years earlier, Chisomo had received something that many of us might take for granted: a mosquito bed net.
He wrote to thank Urunji Child-Care Trust.
It was a simple letter from a child expressing gratitude for a simple gift. But reading it again reminded us of something important: for a child living in a rural community, a mosquito net can be much more than a household item. It can be a vital layer of protection against malaria.
The STOP THE SPREAD campaign
Several years ago, Urunji Child-Care Trust launched a campaign called STOP THE SPREAD to help protect children and families in rural Malawi from malaria.
Through the campaign, we distributed more than 3,000 insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets to children and families in rural communities.
At the time, our focus was simply on getting nets to people who needed them.
But Chisomo’s letter showed us the impact of that work from a child’s perspective.
For us, it may have been one mosquito net among thousands. For Chisomo, it was something that could help him sleep more safely at night.
The mosquito breeding season has just started…
Children like Chisomo are still waiting for a chance to receive a net. For as little as $10, you can help us buy a net that will protect a child from malaria.
Give $10Tax-deductible in the USA · Urunji covers admin costs
Malaria is more than a mosquito bite
Malaria remains a serious threat to children in many parts of Malawi.
A mosquito bite may seem like a small thing, but malaria can cause severe illness, keep children away from school, place financial pressure on families and, in severe cases, become life-threatening.
For families living in poverty, preventing malaria is particularly important.
A child who becomes sick may need to miss school. Parents or caregivers may have to miss work or spend scarce money travelling to a health facility and obtaining treatment.
Prevention therefore matters.
An insecticide-treated mosquito net is a relatively simple intervention, but it can provide an important barrier between a sleeping child and malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
A small act of kindness
Finding Chisomo’s letter reminded us that development work is often about things that may appear small from the outside.
A mosquito net. A meal at school. A pair of shoes. School supplies. A borehole providing clean water. A bursary helping a child remain in school.
Each one may seem like a small contribution. But behind every contribution is a person. And behind every person is a story. Chisomo’s letter was his way of telling us that the mosquito net mattered to him. Years later, his words still matter to us.
You can protect another child
Today, we want to give another child the same opportunity to sleep under the protection of an insecticide-treated mosquito net.
With just $10, you can help provide a mosquito bed net to a child in rural Malawi.
Your donation may not seem like a lot. But to a child, it can represent protection, care and the knowledge that someone, somewhere, cares about their wellbeing. And perhaps, years from now, another child will write a letter of thanks.
Will you help us protect another child?
Donate $10 today and help provide an insecticide-treated mosquito bed net to a child who needs one.