This week we met with Omak and Tony who work for Tchau Tchau Malaria in the district of Manhica, which is situated roughly 80kms north of the City of Maputo. They work in their community as members of the super-heroic spray teams. We asked them how they felt about their role, their job, and the impact they might have on peoples’ lives.
Omak shared her story and admitted it’s a very difficult job. Although she told us that her job is making her feel more powerful, both personally and within her community, because it is “nice” to save peoples’ lives and take control of malaria.
Omak, a single mother of a little boy, contracted malaria in 2010, at the age of 18. Her mother had to take her to the hospital and take care of her. This experience made her realise how important spraying is: “our method kills the mosquitoes inside the house”. She then also started sleeping under an insecticide treated bed net. She makes sure that her house is sprayed and that her son and whole family sleep under the bed nets. They can take control of malaria, whereas before, the risk was always there, every day, every night. Her loves ones are protected now.
Tony is a “mobilizor” within the team. His job is to talk to people and make them understand what Tchau Tchau Malaria work is about. How important it is for households to open their doors to the team of sprayers. It can be an invasive process. They have to assist the sprayers take all of their belongings outside, and let the sprayers enter and spray their walls with insecticide.
The most important thing is to get as many houses sprayed as possible. No questions about that. He even helps the team of sprayers to get the job done. It is team work, it doesn’t matter what his title says. His voice and the way he tells his story, is so powerful. Trembling even, at times. It is a duty “Saving the people’s life is saving Mozambique”.
Meeting Tony and Omak impacted us more that they could imagine. A lesson of humility, human values and fraternity. They are heroes, no doubt about it.
Brett, Tony and Omak