Ms Zambia Newsletter November 2009

Harsh weather conditions are defeated

In Zambia, many are not aware that diseases can be caused by cold dry weather. In Luano valley, ActionAid Zambia has set out to improve the health of children, suffering from weather related illnesses.

By Irene Njobvu, Sponsorship Coordinator, ActionAid Zambia

03. November 2009

Luano Valley in Central Province is a beautiful mountainous place, but it is also known for its harsh weather conditions. The valley has two main seasons: the extreme hot wet season and the cold dry season. The cold season is harsh on people and mostly affects children.
Children in Luano valley, like in many other rural areas in Zambia, are commonly affected by diseases like chest infections, bronchitis, flu and pneumonia. Most parents send children to schools and outdoor household chores in the cold season without proper clothing for the weather. At night, tired from the daily routines, children retire to a cold hard floor and sleep without blankets to cover and protect them from the cold long nights. The cold floors expose them to the dangerous and very uncomfortable sleeping area. Most adults do not see anything wrong in doing that. However, out of about 850 children in Luano, who range between the ages of one to fifteen, 75% have visited the rural health centre with chest related illnesses.

In the past, people were not aware of diseases that are caused the cold dry weather. They did not know that the cold can cause illness. ActionAid, through the local rural health centre and village health cadres, has started teaching communities on prevention of such diseases. This is done through a trained drama group that go around villages sensitizing the communities. This is also done at the health centre once a month when there is a growth monitoring programme for children, who are under the age of five. The focus has been on children because they are the most affected victims. Over 1500 people have been talked to at four different meetings on prevention of cold weather related illnesses. Also, ActionAid has provided 1150 blankets to children hit by chest infection and acute breathing problems.

Elizabeth Miselo, 13, shares her story:

“Michele (her brother) and I could not believe when my mother told us about the meeting she attended at the health centre. It was about how to protect children from catching diseases like coughing and pneumonia. I reminded her of a drama group that came to our village with the same message sometime back. She told us that ActionAid bought some warm blankets for us to keep away the cold at night! We looked at each other and jumped up and down with joy. I was happy because I didn’t like going to sleep and I did not like waking up as well. Every morning I forced myself to wake up because there was nothing else I could do. I help my mother with household chores before I go to school. I get the water bucket and run off to the stream and the cold hits my body like a sharp knife. My fingers and my toes would hurt at times and I fail to stretch and bend them. Writing in class is painful if your fingers are numb or hurt from the cold.
However, I have always thought it is better to be cold during the day, than in the night because the day has many activities that could keep you from thinking about cold severe weather. The nights are tougher because they are long, silent and cold.

I always feared going to sleep because the sleeping area is so hard and cold. I sleep on the floor with nothing to cover me to keep me warm. I curl up myself to keep warm but the long nights are uncomfortable, I would remain awake for long hours in the night. I cannot believe those long nights are gone now, I am so happy to have received a blanket of my own. It is the first time I own a blanket,” Elizabeth ends with a wide smile. Elizabeth, like many other children in the area, has suffered from chronic chest infections which lead to breathing difficulties and poor health.

Sister Irene Juliet Musonda, nurse-in-charge at the local rural health centre has this to say:

“Children in Luano Valley are leading a tough life. Poverty and illiteracy among elders are some of the factors contributing to the low standards of life that these children here go through. Children are delicate and need proper attention in order to bring them up in a healthy way. Some guardians and parents do not draw water and leave that chore to children meaning children have to wake up as early as 05:00 in the morning to go and draw water in foggy cold mornings. Children below five years just run around the home in light clothing with no jerseys at all. The mothers at times bathe them in cold water, because they don’t know that exposing the child to the cold can cause an illness. In the night, they sleep on cold, hard dusty floors which make them cough endlessly.
I receive about ten cases of chest infections, bronchitis, flu and pneumonia in a day. That is a lot for a small population like ours here. Some come in so sick that they end up getting admitted and stay at the clinic for a long time to get better with proper care given here. It is a big problem and we have lost some children with breathing problems. We appreciate the partnership with ActionAid because they are solving the problem from the source by providing knowledge and blankets. Shortly after the blankets were received, I have seen a dramatic reduction of about 50% of cases that I receive in a day”.

Mrs Betty Mumba, a beneficiary, shares her experience:

“I have four children and was ever surprised why my children were in and out of the hospital with chest infections. I was so worried because my children lost weight and were not active at all. I heard an announcement that we needed to go to the health centre for a meeting. Listening to the talk given by Sister Irene Juliet Musonda, I was surprised to hear that coldness can cause a deadly disease mostly to children. I didn’t know that and neither did many mothers who attended the meeting, we were so surprised. We would have lost our children to a matter that we can prevent. We thank ActionAid and the health staff at this health centre for the knowledge they have given us and providing the blankets for poor people in our community. They have saved lives for many more generations to come, because now we have the knowledge and know what to do.”

ActionAid is working with the community through the rural health centre and have sensitized people on the negatives effects of exposing children to cold harsh weather conditions. Community health workers will continue teaching communities the importance of raising children with proper care in hygiene and nutrition. Also, we are supporting the formation of Women’s Clubs, who will focus on knitting warm clothing for sale to the local population. This will bring the selling point closer to people’s homes so that they don’t worry about travelling costs to towns to buy warm clothing.