Emily Jackson writes to you about her Uganda project- part 2!

Africa Project #2!

The past year has been a huge year for Soft Power Health and things are only getting bigger. Last year they put in the new Health Clinic and sold more mosquito nets at certain villages then they did the whole year before. I can’t tell you how proud it makes me to be a part of such an awesome organization and with little work how much you can do! This past January I got to visit Uganda and see what the money I donated could do, and believe me a little goes a long way! People sent money from every corner of the US to help Soft Power Health continue its fight against malaria. Last year I donated all my winnings from the Teva Mountain Games and the Reno River Festival and it alone allowed me to pay the doctor at the new medical clinic his monthly salary for a year! At the moment I had also raised another $4,000 which went to Soft Power Education. This organization helps rebuild and refurbish school houses, to help children learn in healthier environments. The schools change dramatically, the receive benches and chalk boards, old books and four walls and roof! One reason why refurbishing the schools is important is because the schools use cow manure as the floor and a parasite called triggers crawl into the kids feet causing severe swelling and hurts them when they walk! Not being able to walk is a huge handicap since it eventually gets so bad the kids can’t walk to school.

The past year total that was raised through Jackson Kayak and myself was $22,000. This is amazing and I can’t believe we got the number so high! Over $10,000 of it came from simple $20 donations that I had received over time! One reason why raising money is so important is because we lose $10 per net we sell, and we sell thousands of nets! We could do what everyone else has done and raise the price and not lose money on the nets any more but then they won’t be affordable for the people. And getting the nets out to the people is our biggest priority.

The female mosquito is what carries the malaria and surprisingly the mosquito only gets malaria when she bites someone with malaria. So if a whole village doesn’t have malaria, then the occurrences of malaria will drop dramatically. The malarial parasite hangs out in your liver and only when it reproduces to a certain level will it go into your blood stream and give you all the sicknesses that come with it. Another interesting fact that I have learnt is that the mosquitoes carrying malaria only bite from 10pm to 3pm and sleeping under a mosquito net during these times decreases the chance of getting malaria by a HUGE amount, around 90% I believe. The mosquito nets have insecticides in them that kill all the mosquitoes that come near it. One lady at a malaria education session I went to asked if the nets killed bed bugs and yes they kill those too!

You’ll find the biggest problem being uneducated about the causes of malaria, you have to explain to them that no its not from eating to many mangos, no its not from your crazy neighbor and no it is not from being cold too long (don’t see how they get cold in Africa anyways!) The people want to know, they are incredible grateful and receive all you have to tell them with open arms, we are not trying to change their perspective on their way of life, we just don’t want to see their life span be at 44 anymore!
This upcoming trip I am putting a

ell in, since water related illnesses that cause diarrhea kill a large percent of children because they lack important nutrients. I haven’t met the required amount of money yet but I know with the help and support of the people around me it can be done no matter what. One very special thing about this well, is that it’s going to be pumped out using a merry go round, I couldn’t do it last time I was in Uganda because it is patented and I didn’t have enough money. This year I am still unable to put the merry go round in but I will put the well in and when “Play Pump” (the people who came up the merry go round well) start working in Uganda, I want ours to be the first, so I am going to put the well in and then raise the money for the merry go round and I hope that I can help inspire people to donate money to make it all possible. Without those $5, $10, $20 dollar donations, kids would still be walking to school in pain, and kids and adults alike, still would think that malaria is caused by mangos! So with your support I hope we can help overcome these simply yet deadly diseases, one village at a time.

If you’re interested in sending a donation please send it to
888 Power House RD
Walling TN, 38587

And make sure you write it out to Soft Power Health because its Tax Deductible!

Hope You Guys Have Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Emily Jackson