MMV’s 5th Annual Stakeholders’ Meeting
A malaria free world: through the eyes of children
Drawing contest in Thailand
The malaria drawing contest held in 2004 in Maputo, Mozambique at the time of MMV's stakeholders' meeting had been a success, not only in forging links with the local community but in providing original artwork to grace the pages of MMV's annual report.
The team at the Faculty of Tropical Medicine in Bangkok was keen to carry on this new tradition and immediately took up the idea of holding a drawing contest in 2005. In Thailand, malaria is a threat mainly in rural areas, particularly those bordering Myanmar. Having already planned a day trip to the Ratchaburi Province to visit the RTIC field station and Suan Phung District Hospital), Dean Pratap Singhasivanon suggested concentrating the drawing contest on eight schools in that area.
More than 500 children from grade four to grade six were asked to draw their vision of a malaria free world. When the MMV team arrived to help choose the winning drawings they were greeted with an outpouring of colour, optimism for a better world without malaria and clear evidence of a strong health education programme that teaches even the youngest children how to fight malaria.
Download PDF of winning drawings [PDF]
This year, MMV stakeholders were able to join in the joy and celebration of the drawing contest award ceremony held on 30 May at the Rujiraphat School. Beautiful young dancers representing the Karen origins of many of the local people, performed to the accompaniment of traditional instruments. Dame Bridget Ogilvie, Chair of MMV's Board of Directors, awarded the five talented young artists with a backpack
of art supplies. Each participating school also received a set of sports equipment.