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Rural Gambian Communities Reached by Measles Campaign
Written by
Bonnie Gillespie
, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Monday, December 15, 2003 — KWINELLA, Gambia -- The road to Kwinella, a remote village in central Gambia, is an endless stretch of bumpy, broken pavement that finally gives way to a narrow, dirt pathway leading into the primitive community, one seemingly untouched by centuries of change.
Yet the lively village boasts its own water well, school, even a two-room health center, all encircled by traditional hut-like homes with open fire pits for cooking. Palm and baobab trees flank the dwellings, offering respite from the intense West African sun, as well as a shaded meeting place for residents of all ages.
These local children carrying a Red Cross flag welcomed the American Red Cross team when they arrived in Kwinella. |
To much of the modernized world, villages like Kwinella might seem out of reach, but not to the Red Cross. Even before Measles Initiative efforts began in Gambia this week, almost one thousand volunteers with the Gambia Red Cross started spreading the word of the upcoming vaccination campaign in even the most isolated areas of their nation.
And the fruits of their labor have been evident in recent days, as hundreds of thousands of children from urban centers to remote villages like Kwinella have visited posts and received their free measles vaccination shots.
“We are hoping to vaccinate about 740,000 children between the ages of nine months and 15 years at the posts,” said Fatou Gaye, Measles Initiative Project Coordinator for the Gambia Red Cross who brought the vaccination campaign to Kwinella. “And these rural areas were not forgotten. Red Cross volunteers visited the homes here as they did in every part of Gambia, which will make the campaign very successful.”
Local community members are grateful to Measles Initiative partners vaccinating their children at no cost to families. Even if health care is available in rural villages, it is unaffordable for most residents. The opportunity for a free life-saving vaccination is therefore extraordinary and very much appreciated.
Let the Celebration Begin
This Gambian mother in Sankandi took her children to receive their life-saving measles vaccination at the local vaccination post. |
As part of the vaccination kickoff celebration in Kwinella, scores of schoolchildren greeted the American Red Cross team with cheering, chanting, dancing and song. Young people of all ages participated in a parade through the village, led by a young Gambian Red Cross volunteer waving a Red Cross flag. Traditional drum music further enlivened the crowd celebrating the gift of life delivered by the measles vaccination.
Each year, measles claims the life of almost 500,000 African children. But since the Measles Initiative began in 2001, young people in 25 African countries have been vaccinated against the disease and more than 150,000 lives have been saved. When the project concludes in 2005, measles will likely have been eliminated on the African continent.
“The problem of measles here in Kwinella and in Gambia will not be like it was after this campaign is over,” said Sharif Drammeh, who has worked as a nurse for three years in the Kwinella health center. “The children in this area do not live in sanitary conditions and face many health problems like malaria and malnutrition, but soon measles will not be a problem any more.”
In the smaller village of Sankandi, Gambian mothers waited in long lines at a vaccination post set up under a tree. But the mothers, dressed in traditional, brightly-colored African clothing and often carrying young children in sling-link cloths on their backs, were not the only ones who understood the importance of measles vaccinations.
“I received my vaccination yesterday and today I bring my little brother and little sister,” said Ebrihim, a 14-year-old Sankandi resident. “The shot will keep them from getting sick with measles.”
Young Ebrihim said he learned about the vaccination campaign weeks ago from a friend, because even in the most remote parts of West Africa, Red Cross volunteers of all ages can be found to spread the word about the program.
Lamin Jobe, a young volunteer with the Gambia Red Cross said that one day he would like to volunteer with the American Red Cross, too. |
“I like working for the Red Cross because it is a good feeling to help people,” said Lamin Jobe, who is only 13-years-old and has already been volunteering for the Gambia Red Cross for three years in Kwinella and the surrounding villages. “We told people about how the measles vaccination will help the young kids here because they sometimes get very sick and these shots will really help.”
“We do many things at the Gambia Red Cross for our community like teaching about sanitation and helping people when it floods,” he added. “But all the Red Cross is one. We work to help people and one day I would like to volunteer with the American Red Cross.”
You, too, can be part of partnering with the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as they endeavor to eliminate measles in Africa by vaccinating more than 200 million children by 2005.
With each passing hour, 51 more children will have died in Africa as a result of measles. You can help save a life now by donating to the Measles Initiative.
Click here to make a secure online donation to support the Measles Initiative.
Young people in the United States are also helping to make an impact on the lives of those threatened by measles everyday. Everyone can help, but if you are under the age of 25, there are some great ways that you can take a stand in the fight to end measles deaths in Africa. Find out how by visiting the Measles Initiative National Youth Campaign page.
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