Real Life Stories

ukMusa Sanyang

I came from a very poor background from a village in the Gambia. My parents were subsistence farmers, my father planted ground nut during the raining season and my mum, who died about 9 years ago after a complication with malaria, used to work on the rice field during the same period; my family had no other source of income.

Malaria in the village was similar to how people in the UK catch flu. You hardly come across a person who has not been sick of some form of malaria in a year – babies, pregnant mothers, and fathers. I remember having an old mosquito net which my brother and I had been using for years. It has so many patched holes in it, my mother used to spend every evening trying to mend the tears made the previous night.

With a simple bed net for these children and families, many lives will be saved

I had malaria almost every year until I travel outside the Gambia. I remember one time my mother bought some paracetamol from the corner shop as that was all she could afford then. It made me better for few hours and then the symptoms came back stronger. The next day I realised that I was in a hospital, about 100kms away from my village, with my mum by my bed side. I could still feel the weakness and pain around my chest and in my stomach muscles from the excessive vomiting. I was told one of my dad’s relatives, who was fortunately visiting the village, transported me to the hospital. I later found out I had had a very severe form of malaria and I spent about a week in hospital. I lost almost two weeks of vital school time and my parents lost significant income as the farms were damaged by animals while they were away.

I know I am lucky to be alive but there are many people with similar stories who did not make it. Parents lose sons and daughters, families lose bread winners, wives lose husbands and children become orphans due to malaria. With a simple bed net for these children and families, many lives will be saved. For this reason I am fully committed to do whatever I can to support Malaria No More UK to stop this deadly but preventable disease.