It's raining again...

It's the beginning of the rainy season in Senegal. With that comes the malaria season.
Did you know that each day in Africa alone, 3000 people die from something that could be prevented?
Malaria, one of the world's most common and serious tropical diseases, causes at least one million deaths every year -- the majority of which occur in the most resource-poor countries. More than half of the world's population is at risk of acquiring malaria, and the proportion increases each year because of deteriorating health systems, growing drug and insecticide resistance, climate change, natural disasters and armed conflict.At least 300 million acute cases of malaria occur worldwide each year, resulting in more than one million deaths annually -- more than 80% of which are estimated to occur in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly among children under five years old. Recent estimates of the global burden of malaria are even higher, with one study estimating that 515 million cases of clinical malaria occurred in 2002. Overall, malaria accounts for 10% of Africa's disease burden, and it is estimated that malaria costs the continent more than $12 billion annually. Although Africa is hardest hit, it is estimated that more than one-third of clinical malaria cases occur in Asia and 3% occur in the Americas. The estimated cost to effectively control malaria in the 82 countries with the highest burden is about $3.2 billion annually.

Laura Bush vists West Africa

Africa: HIV/Aids, Malaria Focus of Laura Bush's Africa Trip
22 June 2007
Posted to the web 23 June 2007

Lea Terhune
Washington, DC

First lady Laura Bush embarks on her third Africa tour June 25, during which she will visit U.S.-funded HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention and treatment projects. She also will highlight education and women's empowerment during her five-day trip to Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia and Mali.

"People can live positively with AIDS for a long time, live a healthy life," she said at Howard University June 19, adding, "AIDS is not the death sentence that we once thought it was."
Africa 2007

It is a message she will bring to Africa as she visits programs funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), initiated by President Bush in 2003. He recently asked Congress to double the $15 billion, five year commitment to contain the devastating epidemic.

"It's already an unprecedented program. There has never been a fight against a single disease of that magnitude before," Deputy Global AIDS Coordinator Jimmy Kolker told journalists at a White House briefing June 19. He said half the resources in the global fight against AIDS come from the United States.

PEPFAR funding allows grassroots organizations to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and implement programs for prevention, treatment and care of infected individuals.

Likewise, the 2005 President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) builds the capacity of nongovernmental organizations by funding prevention strategies such as pesticide spraying, mosquito bed net distribution and the purchase of the most effective anti-malarial drugs. The five-year, $1.2 billion program aims to reduce malaria deaths in target countries in Africa by 50 percent.

"People may not realize, we had malaria in the United States until 1946, and we were able to totally eradicate it," Laura Bush told CNN June 20. She said the ultimate goal of PMI is "to eradicate malaria in the countries that are the hardest-hit in Africa."

Every year a million malaria-infected people die, most of them African infants, children and pregnant women, according to the World Health Organization. Malaria is an intermittent fever transmitted by mosquito bites.

"I think this trip in particular is going to emphasize ... the integration of the fight against AIDS with other development health goals," Kolker said.

The four African countries have unique national histories, plans and needs, and by "adapting to the local circumstances, following the national lead and with national partners, we're able to help people where they live and to relate to the reality on the ground for them," Kolker said.

Empowerment of women and education of girls also figures in Laura Bush's schedule. In Dakar, Senegal, the first stop on her tour, she will award five Ambassador's Girls' Scholarships provided by the Africa Education Initiative. The initiative will fund 555,000 scholarships to African girls by 2010. "It's critically important that they be educated, not only to be able to provide for financial stability for their home, but also for their own health," the first lady's chief of staff, Anita McBride, said at the briefing.

Besides visits to PEPFAR- and PMI-funded programs in the four countries, Bush will participate in a women's empowerment round table in Mozambique and visit Flame, a transit home for orphans, and WORTH, an organization that educates and provides microfinancing for women in Zambia.

Bush also will launch the first public/private-funded PlayPump water system at Regiment Basic School in Lusaka, Zambia. Colorful merry-go-rounds for children, PlayPumps also give communities easy access to clean water.

In Mali, Bush will attend an event highlighting cooperation with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to encourage economic growth through key infrastructure development. The gateway Bamako-Senou International Airport and agricultural irrigation in the Niger River Delta are the leading projects.

The emphasis is on the personal touch and grassroots participation. "While we're very proud of the huge financial contribution that the administration, the Congress, the American taxpayers have committed to AIDS, what we're most proud of is that we actually know the individuals who are being helped," Kolker said.

Laura Bush visited Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria on two previous African trips.

(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

It's a Girl!

No..we didn't have a baby..BUT the very first baby was born at the Barthimee Hospital in Thies. The former medical clinic...now a hospital is now open all night and will need more funds to keep operating in this capacity till it generates it's own revenue.
If you would like to know more about the Barthimee Hospital..feel free to contact me at uwmwestafrica@yahoo.com

Califonia Dreamin'

Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees
Got down on my knees
And I pretend to pray
I pretend to pray
You know the preacher likes the cold
Preacher likes the cold
He knows Im gonna stay
Knows Im gonna stay
California dreamin
California dreamin
On such a winters day...

This song was dancing around in my head today. The lyrics to this song finds me asking God for forgiveness.
How many times do we/I pretend to pray? How many times do we just go through the actions and words in prayer?
I asked if you would start praying for clean water in Senegal.
Let's pray fervently that God would open doors to clean water that would lead to church planting.

California Dreamin...on a hot Wisconsin summer day....let's pray!

Woman at the well

My time in DC area was a blessing.I met some great people and 'got a feel' for what the DC culture is like.
My desire is to help Senegal with clean drinking water.
Would you consider praying for this?
Here's a few things you could pray for...
- For the connections I made this week to lead to funding
- For a group to be raised up to start water projects in rural Senegal
- For clean water for all Senegalese



Thanks for your partnership in making this happen.

GPS

I was driving around the east coast this week. I was to meet my friend in DC on Wednesday late afternoon at a specific location. I typed in the address on my GPS and I followed it right to the location. Only if life was like that?
How many of us, including me, have a destination in life and if it was easy as typing in a address and getting to that point ...wouldn't that be easy?
But God, in his divine sovereignty, has the address in his GPS and we are to follow His ways to our final destination.
On another occasion, I was to meet some people about one hour outside of Philly. I looked at the map and figured I would be driving to Philly and then cut back to the final destination.But, following the GPS, it surprised me and had me turn on these back roads and long winding beautiful country roads in the Maryland & Pennsylvania countryside until I reached my destination.
Isn't life like that a bit? You think you have life all mapped out and then God has you turn on some long and winding road. It's a surprise at first, but when you look back, you realize how beautiful God is His sovereignty.

God is like the ultimate GPS....he has your life all mapped out with marked way points and he knows your final destination.

It's a Boy!

No, We didn't have a baby...but the result of meeting with a bunch of people in Pennsylvania this week birthed a network called " Friends of Mission Inter Senegal(MIS)".
I met with six individuals on Friday night. Most of them have been to Senegal and share a similar burden of reaching Senegal working with MIS.
We plan on inviting everyone that has visited Senegal for a time of worship, prayer, and networking. The idea will be to work together to build synergy and learn from each other on what's working and what's not. There are so many other things that could come out of this Friday night and all day Saturday event this fall.
Those who have been to Senegal, look for more info coming your way by the end of July.

Together we can make a bigger difference.

Beltway Bandits

While in Washington DC this week, I was exposed to a whole different culture. My friend with SIL , Rick Wacek, explained to me about the uneven playing field that secular NGO"s have over faith based ones. Interstate 495 goes around DC and the "Beltway Bandits" reside around the nation's capitol. Rick explained to me with their power and money they receive millions of dollars, little of it that ever reaches the people. In fact, Rick explained to me that as little as 7% goes to where it is funded for. These 'bandits' make a living off of government money and have the power to continue to do so.
What a shame that faith based NGO's such as SIL can't play on an even playing field because of lack of resources.
Would you consider praying for this? There is an unbelievable amount of government money earmarked for faith based NGO's...but not enough to get to the people, which most faith based organizations have proved to be more efficient with funding.
Here's wikipedia definition;
Beltway bandit is a term for private companies located in or near Washington, D.C. whose major business is to provide consulting services to the US government. The phrase was originally a mild insult, implying that the companies preyed like bandits on the largesse of the federal government, but it has lost much of its pejorative nature and is now often used as a neutral, descriptive term.

The name comes from the Capital Beltway, the ring road that surrounds Washington. (The entire road is officially called Interstate 495, although the eastern half is cosigned with Interstate 95, which traverses most of the East Coast.) The majority of private contractors are located, or at least headquartered, inside this road in order to be close to federal agencies and legislators.

What's Up?

Thanks for coming back to this blog.
I hope you are getting something out of it. It is a joy to always share with anyone, anywhere the needs of Senegal and Africa. I'm always encouraged when someone is interested in something outside of the US and especially interested in Africa.
I'm excited about this month. I travel to Washington DC to visit a missionary friend, and he has some meetings set up with possible fundings for clean water, food, and literacy programs in Senegal.
Then I look forward to meeting with World Relief in Baltimore and then on to Philadelphia to meet with like minded people that are in involved in Senegal.

Please enjoy your summer and remember that not everyone enjoys the freedom we do.

Looking for a good read this summer...how bout an old classic?
" Rich Christians in a Age of a Hungry World". This book has rocked my world.
This is taken from review on Amazon...
Unless you are willing to live in a completely un-American manner. If you are like most conservative evangelicals, such as myself, this book will rock the very foundations of your beliefs. This book references, in great detail, the Biblical premise of helping the poor. Consumerism, materialism and oppressive systems hinder us from our calling. Will we choose the ways of the world or will we choose eternal life? Which side of eternity will we be found in when Jesus returns as he states in Matthew 25:31-46? Being born again is a necessary, initial step to salvation. It allows and motivates us to begin the work of the Gospel. This book explains what that work is.
Go to Amazon.com to get this book for only $10
Amazon.com
Thanks!

Clean Water

Water and health go Hand in Hand



1 billion people lack access to improved water supply

It is estimated that globally, we are on schedule to achieve the drinking water Millennium Development Goal, but the corresponding sanitation target will not be met by 2015 without much extra input and effort. If the 1990-2002 trend continues, it is thought that some 2.4 billion people will be without improved sanitation in 2015 - almost as many as are without today.

2.6 billion people lack access to improved sanitation

In sub-Saharan Africa, trends observed since 1990 indicate that neither the sanitation nor the drinking water target will be met by 2015.

GLOSSARY
Malaria: Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It was once thought that the disease came from fetid marshes, hence the name mal aria, (bad air). The real cause of malaria is a one-cell parasite called plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito.

Schistosomiasis: a parasitic disease caused by a worm that is often found in irrigation ditches and still river water. The water becomes contaminated by Schistosoma eggs when infected people urinate or defecate in the water. The parasites then develop inside snails before re-entering the water where they can penetrate the skin of persons they come in contact with.

Disability adjusted life years (DALY): DALYs for a disease are the sum of the years of life lost due to premature mortality in the population and the years lost due to disability for incident cases of the health condition. One DALY represents the loss of one year of equivalent full health.

Globally, diarrhoeal diseases and malaria accounted for, respectively, 4% and 3% of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost, and 1.8 and 1.3 million deaths in 2002. This burden is almost entirely limited to the under-five age group.

Diarrhoeal diseases
- Every day, diarrhoeal diseases cause some 6,000 deaths, mostly among children under five.
- In 2001, 1.96 million people died from infectious diarrhoeas; 1.3 million were children under five.
- Between 1,085,000 and 2,187,000 deaths due to diarrhoeal diseases can be attributed to the 'water, sanitation and hygiene' risk factor, 90 percent of them among children under five.
- With simple hygiene measures such as washing hands after using the toilet or before preparing food, most of these deaths are preventable.

Malaria
- Over 1 million people die from malaria every year.
- About 90% of the annual global rate of deaths from malaria occur in Africa south of the Sahara.
- Malaria causes at least 300 million cases of acute illness each year.
- Mortality due to malaria increased by 27% between 1990 and 2002, going from 926,000 people to 1,272,000.
- The disease costs Africa more than US$12 million annually and slows economic growth in African countries by 1.3% a year.
- Sleeping under mosquito nets would be one simple but effective way to prevent many cases of malaria, especially for children under five.

Africa accounts for 97% of the world's burden of onchorocerciasis (a parasitic infection), 88% of the world's burden of malaria, 78% of its schistosomiasis burden, and 52% of its trachoma burden.

Schistosomiasis (bilharziasis)
- More than 200 million people worldwide are infected by schistosomiasis.
- 88 million children under fifteen years are infected each year with schistosomes.
- 80% of transmission takes place in Africa south of the Sahara.

Freedom of the press...read the next post too..

Senegal erects multi-million dollar press house

afrol News, 11 May - Macky Sall, the Senegalese Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of a multi-million dollar press house for the country’s media fraternity.

The six-storey building project equipped with the latest technological devices is expected to complete in 18 months time. It cost the Senegalese government CFA 5 billions to erect the edifice. It will be erected in the former city of police in the capital, Dakar.

Senegal is among few African countries that give yearly subvention to their media. Since he came to power in 2000, President Wade has twice increased the annual press subvention from CFA 100, 200 and now 400 millions.

The Senegalese Prime Minister viewed the project as booster for press freedom in one of Africa’s biggest democracies. He said it has proven President Wade’s commitment to developing freedom of the press and expression in the country.

Mr Sall admitted the existence of sporadic frictions between the government and media. He however said a strong press is needed to stimulate democracy in the country. “This is why we want the press to enjoy freedom so that along the way, people become educated,” he said.

He believed the edifice will serve as an important venue for fruitful exchange of knowledge and experience among journalists and communication experts in Africa as a whole.

During his opposition days, President Wade had set up some political publications in Senegal. The papers included Le Democrate, Le Citoyen, Takussan and Sopi, which was created in 1988. However, all these papers have now gone into extinction.

Dr Bacar Dia, the Minister of Information said the structure will no doubt turn “our press more modern, free and independent.”

The Chairman of Walfadjri Group, Sidy Lamine Niasse, who spoke on behalf of the journalism fraternity, commended President Wade for the magnificent project. He also dispelled the widely believed notion that the media has reduced itself as opposition mouthpiece. “That’s not the case,” Mr Niasse said.

By Musa Saidykhan

© afrol News

Freedom of the press???

New Senegal radio shut down before being launched

afrol News, 31 May - The government of Senegal on Thursday deployed a large contingent of armed soldiers to shut off the set up privately-owned radio station in the capital Dakar on Thursday.

Transmitting on 92.3, 'Premier FM' is owned by a prominent Senegalese journalist, Madiambal Diagne. Mr Diagne is also the publisher of two daily papers – Le Quotidien and Cocorico – and a weekly magazine. Cocorico, a satirical paper, hits the newspaper market this month.

His radio that started test signals on Tuesday has been waiting to be launched when its proprietor was asked to vanish from the air. Prior to the closure, four truckloads of armed soldiers stormed the premises of Avenir Communications, the company that administers Mr Diagne’s media business.

Gun-wielding soldiers could be calmly seen inside their vehicles while their commander and officials of the national telecommunications and stations regulatory authority were busy confronting Mr Digane.

“Mr Diagne was asked to remove the station from the air but he refused asking them to do it themselves,” said a staff of 'Le Quotidien.'

After a hasty discussion, the officers went away with the station’s apparatus, leaving it off air.

Before the radio hits the airwaves, Mr Diagne commented on the development, recounting the official rough track the company had trekked on to get a radio frequency from the government. He said the radio project had been a long term dream of his company because it had first requested for a frequency from the Information Minister in November 2003.

Diagne said the request was flatly denied for no just cause. But the company kept on the throat of the government so that they could at least issue allow the radio to cover only Dakar and its environment. This too fell on deaf ears, for they were told that the Dakar frequency is saturated.

“We then asked for a frequency to emit in the areas while waiting for that the problem in Dakar to be regulated,” Mr. Diagne said, adding, “this too has been unsuccessful.” Mr Diagne would not understand why others have been issued frequencies, despite denying him the right.

The company did not fold its hands and said enough is enough as in the case of so many people. With the belief that radio is a power tool to better inform, educate and entertain a society, especially at a time the country is going through elections, Avenir Communications then sought possible alternatives. This led to the buying of a local company with a frequency.

But this too is without official complaints that the transmitter is very close to the airport track. It is not clear whether Senegalese authorities will allow the radio to resume operations.

The new radio is being administered by a doyen broadcaster - Michel Diouf – a pioneer founder member of 'Sud FM' and Manager of 'Radio Television Senegalaise' (RTS).

Mr Diouf’s main ambition is to turn the new radio into a credible voice of truth by relaying factual and well researched human interest stories to audience of Premier FM.

“We want to merge our ambition with out name. We want to be one of the leaders of broadcasting in the country,” he said.

Some months back, Diagne reportedly snubbed an audience with President Abdoulaye Wade.

On 9 July 2004, Madiambal Diagne, also a law expert, was arrested and detained for over 20 days without trial. He was later charged with publishing confidential reports and correspondence, false information and news "which could cause serious political problems."

His arrest and detention spurred the Senegalese privately-owned media to stage a day's news blackout in protest against what they called “the political arrest of our colleague.”

The media guru’s case had concerned the international media bodies, including the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) that petitioned the Senegalese Prime Minister, Macky Sall, reminding him that the “jailing of Mr Diagne for his journalistic activities constitutes a clear breach of his right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international agreements, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Furthermore, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights considers that "detention, as punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion, is one of the most reprehensible ways to enjoin silence and, as a consequence, a grave violation of human rights".

WAN urged Senegal to immediately release Mr Diagne from jail and drop all criminal charges against him. “We urge you to do everything possible to ensure that in future your country fully respects international standards of freedom of expression.”

Senegal, one of Africa's biggest democracies, is becoming intolerant to free expreesion and speech.

While on official trip to Mauritania, President Wade was asked why his government had deviated from his promise that his government would never send a journalist in prison. His reply was thus: "Senegalese journalists don't respect the law."

The Wade government has increased the annual subvention to the press as well as started building a magnificient press house for journalists.

By staff writer

© afrol News