Improving children's health in villages in Darfur

One of the principal activities to have taken place since the last report is the procurement of blankets and mosquito nets by the Communities Marketing Network - these will be distributed to the poorest families in the new villages - Tikailat, Abu Nala and Kheirban B - in the next few weeks. The provision of blankets and moquito nets has proven to have a very significant impact on improving the health of children. Most of the poorest families do not own any blankets and at night they keep the fire in the hut alight to provide warmth for the children. This means that the children are sleeping in a very smokey atmosphere and this contributes markedly to the high incidence of chest infections and eye problems amongst the children in the villages. With the provision of blankets by KIDS FOR KIDS families no longer need to keep the fire alight at night which is also a benefit for the environment as families need to collect less firewood. One of the unexpected outcomes of the provision of blankets has been a marked increase in school attendance by the children as illness with respiratory problems has been reduced - this is clearly a huge benefit for the future of the children enabling them to obtain education which can help them towards a better future. The provision of the mosquito nets significantly reduces the incidence of malaria which is a major cause of death amongst children.

Another activity which KIDS FOR KIDS is promoting to improve the health of children is the provision of jumpers for toddlers - by ensuring that children are kept warm this again helps to reduce illness from respiratory infections. The Women's Development Network is currently investigating the procurement of the jumpers. In order to make the activity sustainable KIDS FOR KIDS will establish Mothers' Knitting Circles to teach mothers to knit so that they are able to make jumpers for their older children and also possibly for sale to the wealthier families in the village. The Women's Development Network is preparing a proposal detailing how the proposed Knitting Circles will work covering such issues as finding teachers, supplies of wool, when and where the Circles would meet, etc.

Re the progress of the overall KIDS FOR KIDS programme, we are proposing to provide support to an additional 5 villages during 2011/2012 and we have asked our Project staff, in consultation with the Communities' Networks, to identify suitable villages.