2011 Miirya Project

The Children of Masindi Charity has donated funds to the Miirya Project, a programme set up and run by a VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas) contact who worked with local Ugandan volunteers and health workers. 

The Miirya project's aim was to provide at least one mosquito net per household estimated at around 6,000 households. Miirya Sub County lies to the east of Masindi, it is very rural and most of the people that live there are subsistence farmers who survive on what they can grow themselves. 

Malaria is pandemic in this area. The use of long term insecticide treated mosquito nets gives 90% protection against this debilitating and often fatal disease. 

The Miirya Project has trained local people to become volunteers. They are a crucial part of the challenge. They sell nets at 'net sales' in the villages for which some people walk miles to attend. Volunteers and Health workers educate families in the importance of sleeping under a net. They also encourage families to consider and act upon other family health issues such as immunisation, family planning and HIV screening. The value of the nets is promoted by requiring a modest payment. 

As well as providing nets to the villages the Miirya project provided mosquito nets to two schools in Masindi town where children board. One of these schools was the Kamurasi School. These nets were paid for by the Children of Masindi charity. The children were given a demonstration by the VSO health professional who explained how to use the net to the best effect, the importance of sleeping under a net and how to look after their net.