Worms4Worms

My name is Abby Moore and I have a dream that one day children everywhere will have access to the medication required to live happy and healthy lives. I recently spent a summer in South Sudan with a non-profit based in Boone, N.C. called WhyTheWoods. We lived in the village of Wadupe, strengthening the essential bonds of friendship with the people there while coming to understand their vision for a community with enough resources to support their people.

While there, we met a nine-year-old girl named Ina who was unable to attend school because she was weakened by worms in her body. After taking her to a clinic in a nearby town that provided her with inexpensive treatment, Ina soon recovered. Unfortunately we learned that many children­­ in the village suffer from schistosomiasis, a disease caused by a type of worm, and that many do not have access to the yearly treatment necessary.

Worms4Worms is a project inspired by Ina and the children of Wadupe, that seeks to help children have access to praziquantel, an incredibly inexpensive medication that eradicates the worms in their bodies. It costs $12 to buy enough medication for about 600 children. However, the process of de-worming requires extensive planning and training, which costs more money. The medication must be bought and distributed to every child in the village, and must be taken twice every day for five days. Someone must oversee this process to make sure each child takes the medication regularly. To create a sustainable process, local workers will be trained to adequately deliver the medication. Estimated cost for the entire project is $4500.

De-worming these children will give them the energy necessary to attend school and pay better attention. They will have better health overall, making them less susceptible to other diseases like malaria or tuberculosis. This will give children like Ina the chance to succeed in a world where poverty, education and disease work against them.

My goal is to raise money by selling packets of candy worms. Not only will this raise funds, but it will also make more people aware of the issue. I am asking you to join me in this process. Donations can be made at whythewoods.com or by contacting me at abbyemoore@gmail.com.  If you would like to sell packets of worms email me and we'll let you know how to get involved! You can also follow us on twitter!