NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund Story from the Field Angola

Mucaba, ANGOLA – Malaria is by far the most common cause of illness and death in Angola, one
third of all cases occur in children.
Ms. Felicidade is 48 years old and cares for five children. She has four daughters, ages 12, 10, 9 and 2,
and one son, age 5.. In 2007, she had no insecticide treated bed net and traveled every month to the
Provincial Hospital with one or another child having symptoms of malaria.
“I did not have hope that this my suffering would
one day end,” she shared in an interview. “All I saw
was that my children would die and that they are all
I have in the world. My husband left me and even
my family thought of me as bad, believing that there
was a demon in my house because the children were
always sick. There was a torment in my life and
heart”, said Ms. Felicidade.
The burden on the family was multiple, as the cost
of the trips to the hospital depleted their meager
income, and she could not help with the family
farming due to the number of visits she had to make
each month.
In June 2008, as part of USAID’s President’s Malaria Initiative partnership with Episcopal Relief &
Development and the NetsforLife® program, Ms. Felicidade attended malaria prevention trainings,
and received three nets that she placed in her children’s room. Since receiving the nets, none of the
children have been sick. Not only have the fevers subsided, but Ms Felicidade has also noted that the
“scrubs” and “pedicles,” (scabies caused by a combination of bed mites, and scratching with poor
hygiene), have all disappeared from inside the house.
Ms Felicidade is increasingly devoting her time to cultivating and harvesting produce for her family.
She said, “Today we thank God that the nets came to Mucaba so that my family and I might live better
then before”, she said to the malaria control agent working on the education program, “…You must
continue this for all our children. They are healthier now you can see it. I am happy, really indeed. I
know how to prevent myself and my children from getting malaria…”
The NetsforLife® the Inspiration Fund is a grassroots effort to educate, engage, and
unite Episcopalians to support the Millennium Development Goals through the fight
against malaria. Our goal is to build awareness about this disease, how it can be
prevented, and raise $5 million by December 2012.