The Winged Scourge

Today's tech training was all about malaria...also known as the winged scourge!!! (insert dramatic music here). According to this 1940s instructional video they showed us at the start of the session, if you get malaria your family will starve, your crops will fail and you will ultimately die. The only solution is to spray carcinogenic insecticide in every crevice of your house and spread crude oil over the surface of all water sources.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y68F8YwLWdg

In all seriousness though malaria is real threat here, and Peace Corps volunteers are working on a universal coverage project to distribute bed nets. There are enough bed nets in Dakar to cover every single person in Senegal, its just a matter of getting them to the people and educating them on how the use and care for them. Today we went over the logistics of organizing a bed net distribution in our region and learned how to make a lotion from the leaves of the Neem tree that will repel mosquitoes. Neem lotion is really cheap and easy to make, and it would make a great project for a women's group or school club.

Neem Lotion Recipe
1. boil 1.5 liters of water
2. add two handfuls of leaves to the boiling water
2. cut up one bar of soap into small thin flakes
3. when the water has turned green pour it over the soap
4. stir until all the soap has melted
5. add 1/4 cup vegetable oil and mix with hands
6. enjoy!