A Widow and her Children Benefit from Whisper’s Jigger Free Community Programme

A few weeks ago, a widow (Marie) and her five children came to our treatment centre where she and her son (Samuel, 11) and her twin daughters (Irene and Edith, 8) were treated for a Jigger infestation.

Jiggers are tiny flesh burrowing parasites that live in the dirt and sands of warm climates, burrowing into the flesh of mammals to incubate their eggs. Needless to say, this causes extreme pain and discomfort to the sufferer and if left untreated can cause secondary infection, leading to serious illness and even death.

Thankfully, Marie came to visit us at the first sign of an infection and we were able to treat her and her family by successfully removing the Jiggers from their hands and feet and disinfecting the wounds. The next step for us was to visit Marie’s home and make sure there was no chance of a repeat infection.

Jiggers thrive in over-heated, cramped and unsanitary conditions and upon arriving at Marie’s residence; it was easy to see how she and her family had fallen victim to an infestation. The floor was comprised of dust and dirt and had little covering to protect the family’s exposed feet -save for a tattered straw matt that had clearly been used as a bed for some time.  All the family’s belongings lay in a mess on the floor around them, with little space and even less in the way of functional furniture; it’s difficult to see what other choice they had.

We cleared the area and disinfected the ground to eradicate any surviving Jiggers; we also educated Marie and the children on how to keep their home Jigger free by improving its condition and administering basic first aid.

We’ll be back in a few weeks to check on the home and to bring Marie, Samuel, Irene and Edith some much needed new furniture, including beds!