Impact Spotlight: Meet Samira

Meet Samira. 

Samira is 11 and has lived her whole life in the remote village of Doubi Bangou, a tiny settlement in the vast, almost empty expanse outside of Niger’s capital, Niamey. While her two brothers go to school, Samira helps her mom with everyday chores like washing clothes and gathering water from the pump.

She has dreams of one day being a dressmaker in her village – “making people happy with beautiful clothes is the best way to help others,” she says.

Her days are difficult, but she feels generally happy that she and her family are healthy. Like many young kids in the village, Samira is a malaria survivor. She told us that she remembers the horrible fever she endured and how she couldn’t play or laugh with the other kids for weeks.

Fortunately, she made a full recovery; and now she and her family sleep under bed nets that protect them from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Samira and her family visit regularly with Saibou, the village’s only community health worker, who provides vital treatment, diagnosis, and health education. With the nearest health facility a day’s journey away, simple disease prevention tools and education are critical to Samira’s family.

Starting this Fall, we are excited to work with UNICEF to distribute thousands of bed nets, treatments, and diagnostics throughout Niger, prioritizing remote villages like Doubi Bangou. We will also supporting community education that focuses on proper use of bed nets.

We have made a commitment to Niger because the need is immense: malaria accounts for 28% of all illnesses and 50% of all recorded deaths, according to the Global Fund.

We would love for you to join us as we continue to help those most vulnerable to malaria. If you’d like to support our work in Niger, please reach out to Emile Dawisha (edawisha@unfoundation).