Note: Davidson Adams, director of the Beverly Nolte Communications Center in Bambur, Nigeria, was in attendance at the 2013 session of the Iowa Annual Conference. We spoke about the impact that Malaria is having in Nigeria, including on his own three year-old daughter.
It’s the rainy season in Nigeria. What does that mean?
Rainy season means a lot to Nigerians, especially rural dwellers. When rain comes it brings a lot of troubles like the issue of mosquitoes. The grasses grow tall. There’s a lot of water all over. It houses mosquitoes. The mosquito rate rises tremendously. In every home there’s someone in the hospital because of mosquito problems. The children are attached, especially those under the age of five. Even the elders need to go to the hospital because of a mosquito bite. They have to look for medication. To survive is a problem. To get food is a big problem. And then when there’s a hospitalization it brings a lot of troubles to many homes.
What would be something that the people of the Iowa Conference could do to help right now?
If Iowa could help the Nigerian people who have to live along with mosquitoes by providing mosquito nets it would be the best thing that could be done. Because people can sleep under mosquito nets there will be fewer problems. Mosquitoes are affecting families. The mosquito nets will preserve, will prevent people from being bitten by the mosquitoes. So, we ask that if Iowa, the Iowa Conference or Iowa individuals can help Nigeria it will make a difference. We must protect Nigerians, especially pregnant women and the children, from mosquito problems, especially during the rainy season.
You mentioned that your family had a problem with mosquitoes last year.
Yes. My family had personal problems with the mosquito last year. My little daughter of three years, despite the fact that we even sleep under mosquito nets, became affected by mosquito Malaria. She was admitted to the hospital. I had to spend a lot of money, over 15,000 Naira, to get her treated because of the mosquito. It has cost us a lot. We spent seven days in the hospital because of the mosquito.
It seems to us that we really need help. I have to provide a mosquito net to my family, to every person in the family, to see that they can sleep under a mosquito net to prevent, or, at least, to control a little of the mosquito troubles. It’s a very big experience to many families. Every family experiences problems with mosquitoes every year. Every year. It becomes a routine. You have to get prepared to go to the hospital because of the mosquito. It’s a very serious problem in Nigeria.