Have you ever had a sleepless night because one buzzing mosquito keeps circling around your head ? …then waking up with a red itchy bite thanks to the blood thirsty pest …yes ….very irritating!!!
Mozambique is one of the worst Malaria endemic countries in Africa with pregnant moms and kids under the age of 5 years most at risk of contracting and dying from Malaria.
Africa needs to learn to help itself, by changing the way the world thinks about Africa especially in this tumulteous economic and political climate when Zika, Global warming, Aids, poverty are priorities for International governments — the ‘begging bowl’ mentality is a thing of the past.
Rob Brozin, founder of Nando’s decided that it was time to implement a sustainable and scaleable Malaria elimination program, together with government and the private sector because Malaria is preventable and ultimately eradicable. We decided that we did not want to tackle this innitiative in the same way as other organisations, but wanted to add a sense of design, uniqueness, passion and purpose to the program….plus of course a sense of Nando’s spice ( and humor)…as the Bird’s Eye chillies used in the Nando’s marinades are actually grown in Mozambique.
After much research we concluded that we needed to use a tied and tested method of control and one which we were able to monitor (unlike net distribution) so we could measure impact on the ground.
We finally decided to impement the IRS method-(Indoor Residual Spray), which is approved by the WHO and is applied to the interior walls of homes, protecting the inhabitants from being bitten by the deadly Anopheles mosquito — and ensuring inhabitants have a good night sleep too. The Anophele mosquito bites at night but not before resting on an interior wall. Teams of sprayer operators are recruited and employed from local villages as they understand the culture of the people and the lay of the land. Our specialised team of Malaria control specialists and trainers ensure that the spray is applied with full coverage no drippage or spillage going from house to house. Covered in protective clothing enduring the scorching heat of the African sun the spray men and women walk from village to village with 25kg tanks slung from their shoulders. This has got to be one of the hardest jobs on earth.
Todate we have protected over 250 000 people and have significantly reduced the Malaria prevalence rate.
So what better solution than wearing a pair of sexy pyjama pants that keep you covered and you can sleep well too (they are anytime, anywhere pants — wear them from the boardroom to the bedroom) with proceeds from the profits funding the Goodbye Malaria Spray program in Mozambique, you can help protect someone in Africa. This is one part of our innovative business model that supports and impacts local entrepeneurship and industry directly whilst supporting efforts to eliminate Malaria.
The concept behind the creation of the pants was to mirror the effect of Malaria elimination in a way that would really make the wearer feel like part of the solution in a very sexy, funky and tactile way — everyone should sleep well !! The pants are a symbol of African creativity at it’s best, the genuine 100% cotton traditional Shwe Shwe fabric has been treated so that it feels soft to the touch. Our logo, the Citronella ( a flower that has a scent that repels Mosquitoes) has been incorporated into the middle of the iconic citron design. The colours are bright and funky — a real celebration of life.
Save a life in your sleep…Unisex pants in range of colours and sizes are available on our website:- www.goodbyemalaria.com
All of our products are locally made, supporting entrepreneurs, fair trade and creating jobs. Our Spray program too, employs and trains people from the local communities.
Originally published at medium.com