Mosquitoes Make Me Bonkers!

Don’t tell Peace Corps, but probably the greatest job I ever had was as a camp counselor. It’s exhausting, meaningful, and an incredibly good time. I was a counselor at D-Camp for three summers, and each camp began with a game of bonkers. Simply put, campers get points completing various tasks at stations while “bonkers” run around bonking campers with flour-filled socks. If bonked, you have to sit and wait for a medic to rescue you. Only two people are safe in line at a station. The rest better run.

My friend Kristin, a former camp counselor herself, had the brilliant idea that we adapt this well-loved camp game to compact malaria.

So we did. And it was awesome.

We began with some classroom learning. Fifth and sixth grade students rotated through three 30 minute lessons taught by Peace Corps Volunteers paired with teachers from my school. One classroom on bed net care, 

Photo by Michael Alvarez,

Another on malaria prevention and mosquitoes,

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Photo by Michael Alvarez

And one on symptoms and treatment.

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Now that students had heard the content, it was time to apply it.

In the form of bonkers.

Amazing!

Children earned points by completing malaria-related tasks at stations.

They did things like cover standing water to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs.

Photo by Michael Alvarez

They searched through a pile of clothing to find protective clothing for nighttime wear

Photo by Michael Alvarez

cleared the area of grass and fallen leaves where mosquitoes spend their time,

Photo by Michael Alvarez

and completed a puzzle and answered questions on the importance of taking prescribed malaria medication as directed.

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Other stations included acting out 3 malaria symptoms and properly tucking in a bednet.

But there’s a problem. Mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite ran about the field. They infected children with the deadly parasite, also known as bonking children. Students with malaria were out of action until a community health nurse came to save them with the malaria medication. Bednets were hung throughout the field, but there was only room in each for 3 children at a time.

The children loved it! The adult teachers loved it! I loved it!

Here’s what it looked like.

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Photo by Michael Alvarez

Photo by Michael Alvarez

The kids had to put discussed malaria prevention techniques into practice. They controlled mosquito populations by clearing grass and covering water. They protected themselves from mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and using bed nets. They identified symptoms and displayed proper treatment seeking behaviors by getting medicine from a health care worker and recognized the importance of taking that medicine properly. Just as medicine would cost money in real life, getting bonked in the game cost the children a point. The message: prevention is the best route to take.

In the end, the team with the most points remaining after subtracting medical fees (bonks) won the game. Not only was this game fun and memorable, it was meaningful.

Being a camp counselor is the best job ever, and in this heat, Peace Corps is really just a two year long summer camp.