Opportunity Solutions Blog

Alison and I are very pleased to have recently published an article in the Malaria Journal which describes the malaria project that OSI supported in the summer of 2007-2008. The study demonstrates that providing incentives to households to use mosquito nets can boost the use substantially and may offer a potential tool for reducing malaria-related mortality in groups that are especially vulnerable such as pregnant women and children under 5 years of age.

Here is a link to the article:
Effect of incentives on insecticide-treated bed net use in sub-Saharan Africa: a cluster randomized trial in Madagascar
Krezanoski PJ, Comfort AB, Hamer DH
Malaria Journal 2010, 9:186 (27 June 2010)
For an abstract and pdf: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/9/1/186/abstract

And some photos from the implementation in 2007: http://www.opportunitysolutions.org/page/netcomp/photos

Our next step is to try to find funding for a larger cost-effectivess study to study whether these targeted incentives may be a more efficient way to save lives than traditional education campaigns, especially in epidemic, refugee and other emergency situations.

Filed under: Uncategorized by Paul Krezanoski Date 4 July, 2010
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My name is Aina.  I am 30 years old and the mother of two daughters.  My husband is a teacher at a private high school.  I am a housewife but at the same time I am able to have a little business thanks to the loan that Masomboly has given me.  Thus, I have a small business in front of my house selling all kinds of things like different cereals and fruit as well as vegetables.  This business helps me to earn some money because my husband does not earn a lot; therefore I am able to help with some of the expenses of our household.  I like what I am doing because it enables me to have time to take care of my family as well as to earn some money.  At this time, it is a little hard because in spite of the fact that I sell things that people need on a daily basis, my business is not doing very well because the people don’t have very much money because of the political crisis.  But I don’t just do that business; I have also invested in poultry.  I buy chickens when they are very young and I raise them for a few months and afterward I re-sell them.  This business does very well especially during the period of holidays and celebrations.  My clients are the people who live in my neighbourhood.  I don’t know what else to tell you except that I earn enough each day..I have chosen this type of business because I did not have many years of schooling.  Thus, this is the only domain in which I am competent and which allows me also to have time for my family.  When I received the loan from Masomboly, I did not change my business but I added something else – that is the raising of poultry as I already said.  With the next loan, I would like to enlarge this animal-raising business.  I would like to add pigs as well because this would bring in a lot more money. Sometimes I ask myself how I can do everything during the day with a baby and without anyone’s help.  I start my day at 4:00 a.m. by preparing the coffee and little donuts to sell, and at the same time I make the breakfast for my husband and my daughter who must leave the house at 6:30 a.m. each day.  After that, I get myself ready and then to the housework.  I get out the things to sell in front of my house and I stay there throughout the whole day.  That’s where I make lunch because I have bought all the things I will need for lunch the day before.  Each day my day is spent like that except for Sundays because on that day, I go to church in the morning and then in the afternoon I do the ironing and braid my daughter’s hair. The person who has inspired me is my mother.  She is very courageous and animated.  She was always strong in spite of the hard things that happened in her life and I admire her courage.  If I was able to change one thing in my life, it is that I would like to have studied more, but I did not have the chance.  I am not complaining, however, because my mother did so much for us. The thing that I like the best in my life is my children and my mother.  I am ready to give my life for them.  I can’t think of any quotation that inspires me.  Thus, I think the lenders now know a lot about me.  I don’t know what else to say except to thank them for all they have done for us.

Filed under: Uncategorized by Paul Krezanoski Date 9 March, 2010
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My name is Julienne Razanamalala and I am 31 years old.  I am a single mother, and I have two children, one son and one daughter.  I run a little grocery store.

I get up at 5:00 a.m. each morning and get my business ready (I sweep the floor of my shop and I arrange the things I sell). 

Every day I spend 40,000 ariary ($18) for my business and I receive a profit of 10,000  ariary ($4.50).  My neighbors are the customers.  My business does well every weekend and at the end of the month, but between the 10^th and the 20^th of the month, I need to loan food items to my customers. 

Because I do not have a high school diploma, it is very difficult for me to find a better job.  That is why I do this business and thanks to your aid (the loan from Masomboly), I am able to support my basic needs. 

What I would like to change in my life is to completely leave this life of poverty and live a quiet, better life (with a big, beautiful house made of concrete, and a car).  

Every day, even the weekends except on the day we have the meeting with Ms. Agathe and Ms. Filonne, I stay in my shop.  I do not have the time to go out or have fun.  It is only my two children who go to church on Sunday. 

I like rich people, and those who are Christians.  I also like selling things and naps.  One is able to earn money from selling, and then can feel refreshed after a nap. 

A proverb that I like very much is “Those who visit others will be loved by their neighbors. 

Another proverb that I like is “It is better to lose money than to lose a friendship.” 

I would ask you to increase the amount of money you lend me in order that my problems can go away and I thank you very much for your financial help.  I hope that they continue and never stop. 

Merci et au revoir.

 

 

Filed under: Uncategorized by Paul Krezanoski Date 2 March, 2010
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