Malaria mosquito nets for school going children in Uganda https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2015/malaria-mosquito-nets-for-school-going-children-in-uganda https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Malaria mosquito nets for school going children in Uganda

Additional Information
Used for	Malaria is the leading cause of sickness, death, poverty, and missed school days among grade school children in Uganda. Malaria mosquito nets prevent malaria. We will use funds provided by the Dudley Dougherty Foundation to give 1,200 grade school students malaria mosquito nets, protect them against malaria, and help them stay in school
Benefits	In addition to causing sickness and death, malaria infections are the leading cause of preventable absenteeism causing children to fall behind and drop out of school. Providing children with nets promotes health and education helping the children elevate themselves from poverty. Three individuals can sleep under one net, so one net changes a family, and the opportunities the children receive from their education can change the community.
Proposal Description	NETwork Against Malaria (NAM) is a nonprofit organization that provides insecticide-treated malaria nets (ITNs) to children, pregnant women, and families in Uganda, Africa. Through the distribution of malaria nets, NAM promotes good health, furthers education, and combats poverty. This year, NAM is focused on distributing nets to school-age children. I am writing to request financial support from the Dudley Dougherty Foundation, specifically $7,000 to distribute ITNs throughout schools in Uganda, Africa. Your donation would help us to positively impact thousands of lives. Malaria burdens the people of Uganda. It is the number one cause of sickness and death killing 350 Ugandan children every day about 70,000–110,000 people every year. Malaria is the main cause of infant mortality and leads to underweight and premature births, stunted growth, childhood anemia, and mental retardation. The disease is also the number one cause of poverty. Poor families can spend up to 25% of their income on malaria prevention and treatment. Unfortunately, malaria also has a large, negative impact on education. Every year, children miss tens of school days due to the disease. Project Details: NAM wants to protect schoolchildren and their families from malaria through the use and distribution of ITNs, which protect users from mosquito bites. The nets are treated with scentless insecticides that have no harmful effects on humans. It decreases the likelihood of mosquitos entering the home and biting the individuals sleeping under it. Effectiveness: An average of three people sleep under each malaria net, so each ITN potentially saves three lives from malaria. By distributing nets, NAM decreases the likelihood of health complications due to the disease and allow students to attend school. When ITNs are heavily used in an area, malaria transmission is reduced by 95%. Distribution process: One thing that distinguishes NAM from other organizations is that it uses a unique distribution model to ensure nets are properly used by recipients. NAM’s model is backed by research that shows school-aged children are the ideal entry point for change and therefore focuses its distribution on schools in the parish of Francis Banura, our Ugandan team leader. When students receive malaria nets, they can be confused by their purpose or use the nets incorrectly, diminishing their value. To solve such potential problems, NAM presents the recipients with information in both English and the native vernacular, describing the importance and proper use of the nets. Presentations are specific to the school, and then children return home with their new net and teach their families how to use it. NAM is a small organization, but through the efforts of volunteers, it has distributed more than 25,000 life-saving malaria nets to impoverished children, pregnant women, and families in rural Uganda. Statistics from the Katulikire Health Center show malaria infections have decreased among all populations in areas where we have distributed malaria nets, and malaria cases among school-age children specifically have been reduced by 60%. NAM can distribute ITNs to six schools each term, 18 schools a year. The distribution cost for one school with the average, 1,200 students is as follows: 1. Documentation: (Paperwork, money transfers, and project documentation) $350 2. Transportation (Truck, driver, gasoline): $410 3. ITN cost (Varies with the US dollar to Uganda Shilling exchange rate): 6,000 Total cost: 6,760. NAM is funded entirely by jewelry sales, fundraising, donations, and grant contributions. Since 2008, NAM has distributed malaria nets to thirty-five of the fifty-one schools in the schools overseen by our volunteer, Francis Banura. Additionally, new students enter the schools every year. To ensure the continuing protection of students in all fifty-one schools, we plan to distribute 7,000 ITNs in 2015. I write asking the Dudley Dougherty Foundation for financial assistance, specifically for $7,000 to distribute between 700 and 1,000 ITNs in Uganda (number of nets depends on the conversion rates at time of purchase). Thank you for your time and consideration.