Sand flea treatment project launched in Kenya - Resolving poverty becomes new goal

 

Sand lice is a skin infection that many people in Africa and elsewhere suffer from. Rena Sugihara learned about sand lice at an international NGO where she interned while still a student. She raised the funds herself and went to Kenya to develop a treatment project. Over the course of three months, she deepened her interactions with local people through treatment and also came face to face with the serious poverty that lies behind the disease. We spoke to her about what sparked her interest in Africa, what she gained from her work in Kenya, and her future goals.

 

What kind of disease is "snow flea disease"?

This is an infectious disease caused by small sand fleas called sand fleas that live in the sand and parasitize the skin on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. Once infected, the disease progresses without the patient noticing, causing difficulty walking and necrosis of the hands and feet. It is a dangerous disease that can also lead to secondary infection from the affected area, necrosis of the entire body, and decreased brain function.

Sand fleas are transmitted by walking barefoot on dry sand in places such as Africa. It can be prevented by washing your feet with soap and wearing shoes, and can also be treated by going to the hospital, but the infection is spreading especially among people in poor areas who cannot even do this. However, no specific infection prevention measures or treatment are implemented by government agencies, and the existence of the disease is almost unknown worldwide, so it is listed as one of the WHO's "neglected tropical diseases."

Why did you start the Sand Flea Treatment Project?

I learned about sand fleas through a project to combat sand fleas run by the international NGO Japan Results. I worked as an intern at Japan Results from my third year of university, and it really pained me to see pictures of infected children with swollen feet who could no longer walk. It is often said that it is important to think of the problems of developing countries as something that affects you. However, the situation in which children get sick and lose their lives just because they cannot wear shoes, something that is so common in Japanese people, was something that I could not think about even if I wanted to. I was very shocked by this, and began to think about what I could do to help solve this problem, even if only a little.

Originally, I had a desire to go to Africa and do activities that involved direct contact with local people, and I came up with the idea of running a treatment and prevention campaign in areas where sand fleas are prevalent. In order to raise awareness of sand fleas, I raised funds through crowdfunding to purchase medicines and disinfectants, and received more than 1.6 million yen in support, far exceeding my initial expectations, and was able to make the campaign a reality.

Why did you insist on working locally yourself?

I belonged to the Pan African Friendship Society at university. The Pan African Friendship Society deepens understanding of African history, politics, and culture through Swahili speech contests and daily study sessions. Africa is often focused on its negative aspects such as poverty and conflict, but I began to feel uncomfortable about this while working with the society. I felt strongly that people actually live more vibrantly and energetically, and that I shouldn't talk about Africa without actually going there, so I decided, "I won't know until I go. I will definitely go to Africa while I'm in college." From then on, I told everyone I met, "I want to go to Africa no matter what," and then a senior in my seminar introduced me to Nippon Result, which led to my trip to Africa.

What specific activities did you carry out there?

A campaign was launched in the area around Esumba village in western Kenya from April to July 2023, gathering patients at schools and churches for treatment. The treatment itself is not difficult, and involves washing the hands and feet thoroughly, having a local nurse remove the affected area with a scalpel, and applying an effective drug against sand fleas to the hands and feet. 30 to 50 patients gather at each session, and a total of about 300 patients were treated over the three months. A few days after treatment, the team visited each patient's home to monitor their progress and disinfect the walls and floors as a preventative measure.

I am not qualified to perform medical procedures, but on the other hand, I did everything I could, even without the qualifications. I fetched water and washed the children's feet, applied medicine, etc. During the treatment, the children cried in pain and I was worried, but when I visited their homes later, their feet had become clearer, and I was happy to be able to see and feel the effects of the treatment with my own eyes. When I heard that the pain in their feet had gone away and they could walk again, I felt really glad that I came here.

However, to be honest, rather than reactions such as "I'm glad that my leg is healed," most people responded with things like, "Even if your leg is healed, I don't know if I'll survive tomorrow. I want more food and money."

This is a poverty problem that cannot be solved by treating illness alone.

That's right. When your feet become worn down from sand fleas, you can't work, and there is also discrimination and prejudice. Some of the patients I treated had not eaten for days, and some said they had nothing to eat the next day. Some were so seriously ill that they lost consciousness and could no longer speak. In addition to treatment, they needed many things. I myself was worried about what to do, but I worked hard, thinking that there was no choice but to do what I could do at the time. Also, it is the role of politics to save such people, but I was keenly aware of the reality that no measures were being taken at all for the weak.

I think it was a big change for me to have to face up to the harsh reality that I had not paid attention to before going to Kenya and to start thinking about what kind of society we need to create.

Apart from the treatment, are there any other memorable experiences you had while you were there?

It was unexpected to learn that Kenyans and Japanese people have similar taste preferences. When I made meat and potatoes with soy sauce and fried chicken and served them, everyone said it was delicious and ate it happily. I think that's one of the things you can't know unless you go there.

Another memorable experience was the self-sufficient lifestyle at my homestay. I spent my days eating vegetables I picked myself from the fields and chickens that were running around nearby just moments ago, and I felt a strong sense of being blessed with life and of being alive thanks to the blessings of nature. I learned about the coexistence of humans and the natural environment in the Global Peace and Coexistence course at Faculty of Law, and I thought that the spirit of people living in harmony with nature still remains strong in Africa. Experiencing this in Africa made me want to cherish the spirit of living in harmony with nature once again.

Please tell us about your future career paths and goals.

I plan to start working at a trading company specializing in chemical products from April next year. One of the things I felt when I went to Africa was the importance of daily necessities being available at a fair price. I chose to work at a trading company that deals with chemical products that support our lives because I wanted to contribute to creating a society where the things we need for life are available to those who need them at a fair trading price. My goal is to hone my international perspective through my work overseas and return to Africa to work someday. I want to be a bridge between Japan and Africa and bring even a little hope to a society in turmoil, with natural disasters, conflicts, and unstable political situations.

Please give a message to your juniors who are interested in attending Soka University.

There are a wide variety of students studying at Soka University, including those who have achieved success in on-campus activities and those who have had wonderful overseas experiences. I hope you will talk to and interact with a variety of people here and broaden your connections with others. I also hope you will cherish the things that interest you and the moments that move you, and take on challenges without fear to grow big.

At this year's open campus, I had the opportunity to speak about the sand flea treatment project, and a high school student who listened to me came up to me and said, "I want to enter Soka University because I want to help people in Africa. I'll study hard to achieve that!" I was very happy. I think that in this day and age, there is a tendency to think that it's okay as long as you're happy, but I think that it's especially because we are living in difficult times that we need to have a broad perspective and continue to have hope for peace. I hope that you will all study at Soka University and become people who are needed by society and for peace!