Real-Life Stories
Rita Githiaka
I am Rita, a girl in form two. I school in Mount Kenya Academy Senior School. I am sixteen years old. I come from a country where malaria is a threat to the lives of the citizens. As much as I would hate to admit it, malaria has mercilessly killed many, including loved ones of mine. Despite the fact that I have not physically suffered from this epidemic, I have been a witness.
At one point in time about two years ago, my closest friend Clare Wanjiku, who was a class behind me, had been asking me to keep her company after school at her home as she took care of her ill mother. She had no idea what disease had struck so hard on the person she loved most...
After a week's time, her mother began to get worse. Sooner than expected, she was in critical condition. I had a feeling it might have been malaria and I tried telling Clare but she wouldn't listen. On a Wednesday evening when we arrived at the house as usual, we found her mother trying to utter, "Wanjiku, tell everyone that I love them, especially you and Rita your friend. Goodbye."
Immediately the atmosphere was tense and there was a loud silence...Clare burst into tears and sobbed bitterly. When my parents were informed about the death of Clare's mother they adopted Clare and now, not only is she my friend but she is my sister. This is a story to be told by many, because it is the reality in my country Kenya and in Africa at large. This is because people lack sufficient funds for the curbing of malaria. The number of clinics is low and can be barely accessed by the people living in the isolated areas. Providing free medicine, educating all both young and old, and increasing the number of clinics in areas that have no clinics could help solve this the malaria epidemic...
...A world without malaria would be safer and happier considering the pain it has inflicted on the people of Africa and other parts of the world. It would definitely be a world better than it has always been!