Night 3: Bracing for the Storm

Although I slept wonderfully last night (which may have been partially attributable to a very tasty and filling dinner at Coastal Kitchen with Michael), I woke up to a steady rainfall and decreased temperatures...which of course bodes well for the "potent Pacific storm on Saturday night [that] will bring gusty winds on the coast and parts of the interior of Western Washington."  Awesome.

Here's the latest YouTube rendition of Net Strike.   After listening to this clip, as well as earlier ones, I've realized it sounds like I have a lisp with my "s's" - and perhaps that I'm wearing a retainer? (my mom asked me about that)  I think this sound issue is a result of me making these video clips with my point-and-shoot camera, but I guess there's always the possibility that sleeping under a bednet brings out unknown speech difficulties.  A hard correlation to fully accept, but stranger things have happened I suppose.

I've missed out on the last couple nights' trivia tidbits, so here's a morning for you:

(non) Nightly Net Strike Trivia Tidbit 

So when you donate your hard earned money to "Lives for Lubomba" and Malaria No More, where exactly does it go?  For instance, if you give $10 and it goes toward an insecticide treated bednet (ITN), how is it spent?  (hey, this is all about responsible investing - beyond trying to "save" me from spending the next 11 days outside under a bednet of course)  For me, this is a really important question - especially after spending my summer in Africa trying to understand where exactly health interventions were going.  Your $10 donation to Malaria No More is split into two costs: $5 for the insecticide treated net itself, and $5 for the actual delivery and administrative services associated with getting the net to its ultimate recipient.  Providing for a net's delivery cost is particularly important because without it, it's very possible that the net will never get to a child who needs it.  Supply bottlenecks happen all of the time in Africa, whether it's a fuel issue, road problem, or human resources shortage -  health interventions will be purchased, but never reach the people requiring them.  That's why I like working with Malaria No More, and why I hope you'll support the organization's very worthy - and financially responsible - cause of protecting children from malaria's toll.

Alright, it's time to get some work done, and in particular, writing my practicum paper about my summer fieldwork in Zambia.  I definitely will touch more on this experience in future posts, but for now, I'll say this much: a lot of friends, coworkers, family members, and my boyfriend think I'm crazy for undertaking this Net Strike.  "Your marathon is in a few weeks - what if you get sick?" they ask.  A valid point I suppose, but an equally valid response is "at least it's not malaria." My time in Zambia spent researching the country's malaria policies really showed me how devastating the disease can be, and perhaps most unnervingly, how easily the disease can bounce back, even after years of successful control and reduced cases, as soon as there are medicine shortages, diagnostics stock-outs, or particularly heavy wet seasons.  Lubomba, the child to whom Lives for Lubomba is dedicated, died very suddenly a few weeks ago because the health worker couldn't provide the medicine - ACTs - the child needed to combat malaria.  His parents did everything right by promptly bringing the 6 month old baby to the health facility.  The health center isn't at fault because they didn't receive the medicine stocks they ordered, which is a frequent occurrence throughout Zambia.  The problem is at a broader level, part of which includes a greater demand for malaria interventions than what supplies can fill.  That's where the likes of Malaria No More can help fill the gaps, and if I can help them by sleeping under a bednet for a few nights in rainy Seattle, then that's the very least I can - and should - do to help in the fight against malaria.


So what are you waiting for - help "save" me from Net Strike today!


Take care,
Nancy




Net STRIKE!  I'm sleeping outside under a bednet in Seattle so children in Tanzania can too.  I'll sleep out on the deck, bednet overhead, until November 4 (i.e., when I leave for the NYC marathon) or $10,000 is raised for my Team Malaria No More fundraising campaign, Lives for Lubomba.  To support this campaign, simply scroll down the page to the button "Click Here to Donate Now."  Thanks so much for your support, "saving" me and children's lives in Tanzania.