Editor’s note: Niki Clark is an American Red Cross employee who traveled to Malawi recently to participate in the Measles & Rubella Initiative. These are the stories she’s heard. Read more about the work here.
Demobrey Chisambin, a 23 year old volunteer with the Malawi Red Cross Society, goes house to house as part of an upcoming Measles Campaign supported by the American Red Cross and other partners. Each volunteer is responsible for reaching 100 households, telling mothers about the importance of getting their children vaccinated. When he’s not volunteering with the Red Cross, he also volunteers at the local health clinic.
Here he is visiting with Mimum Msowoya, 36, and mother of 2 year old Victoria. She wants her daughter to be vaccinated so as to prevent disease. Like many Malawians, Mimum remembers the outbreak in 2010 which resulted in 124,000 cases of measles, and more than 300 deaths. So far that morning, Demobrey had registered 44 children, which he see as 44 lives saved. “It’s not good to see someone dying when you know there’s a cure.”
Over the next week, Malawi will immunize more than 2.5 million kids against measles.
You can help. Learn how to get involved by visiting the M&RI site.