Saturday: The Final Day in Basaam

Today was our last day of work on behalf of Nothing But Nets and the Cote d’ Ivoire campaign. We were back in Basaam to walk around and help people be sure they are using the nets. We split up into 2 groups with an interpreter each. My team was also paired with a couple of local boys who spoke the tribal language in the area we would be walking through. Early on we came across many who were using the nets with some needing to be lowered a bit to be sure they can be tucked under the bed. But again, we came across some who didn’t understand or had done things wrong or hadn’t even taken it out of the package yet. Even though it was frustrating to encounter this, we knew that by explaining and helping them we were making a difference and that the good information about using the nets would spread through the area.

It was a very hot morning so we needed a break on the air-conditioned bus after a couple of hours. We then set out again in a different area and encountered the same mix of results. However, I was touched by one father who took us to the area homes where he and his extended family lived. He was worried that he had hung the net incorrectly. However, his was the best one we had seen yet, it was tethered in such a way that the net was expanded to its full width and length and the height was perfect. That capped a great morning in Basaam and gave us hope that more would be using it perfectly. Our interpreters and Basaam hosts also shared that all the pastors in the churches were asked to stress the importance of using the net if you had received it and had volunteers that would continue this work. And that the church members would be the voice to their neighbors about using the nets.

This points out how important a church family can be to a community and the influence we can make. We need to be willing and ready and answer that call God gives to us to make a REAL difference in our community and our neighborhoods. Even if it is as simple as making sure they have hung up a net.