Islanders 'held hostage by mosquitoes'

Sun, 07/20/2008 10:38 AM | Lifestyle

Yamli village in South Halmahera holds heartbreaking stories about mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers losing their loved ones to malaria.

The coastal village, which is a one-and-half-hour boat trip from the nearest subdistrict of Gane Barat, has breathtaking views of lush vegetation and misty islands as far as the eye can see.

A 200-meter cemented pathway is the village's main thoroughfare. It is lined with wooden houses on both sides and is built on marsh land. One of the houses is Ester Lina Rahmat's. It is a typical house in the poor neighborhood with damp air, dirt floor, an asbestos roof and minimum lighting.

She lives in the house with her two children, Agustinus and Derdelina. Her husband, Yosias Kadari, is a teacher and is away pursuing a degree in Ternate for his teaching career.

"My daughter died when she was one. It happened so fast. We took her to Gane Barat in the morning and she died a few hours later in the night. We brought her home and buried her in the morning," Ester says matter-of-factly. However, it is obvious she is holding back her emotions.

Yulince, the baby girl, was a twin. The surviving sister is now being taken care of by Ester's sister in another village.

"She was a smart one. She outdid her sister in some ways. She could already walk while her sister still struggled to walk. She liked to laugh and had a generous smile," Ester reminisces.

"It still hurts now whenever I see a baby that age. I wish I could hold her now," she says.

Ester's mourning is shared by other mothers in the area who have lost loved ones at a tender age.

Marce Tukur and Yosina both in their mid-20s have similar stories about losing their babies to malaria.

When her baby boy was sick, Yosina was in the middle of fighting a malaria bout.

"I would have died if my family did not quickly take me to Gane Dalam."

The village head, Yonias Kadari, assumed his post less than a year ago, believes there are some things that can be done to overcome fate.

"We were only given mosquito nets early this year from the regency," he said.

He has mobilized men to regularly clear bushes to allow for running water because still water is the perfect condition for Anopheles mosquitoes to live and reproduce.

Malaria -- mostly aggravated by diarrhe -- is the biggest killer in the village. According to Yonias, there are around 20 deaths yearly in the village, which is home to some 300 people. In the village, it is mostly babies that die from malaria.

According to official data from the South Halmahera Health Agency, last year there were 56 deaths caused by malaria. This year, as of early July, there have been eight.

Yamli is perhaps the poorest part of the young South Halmahera administration. The people here rely on coconut and cocoa farming for their livelihood. Other islands like Gane Barat are only accessible by boat, and the fares have skyrocketed due to the rising fuel price. The Yamli people usually take their own wooden boats and can spend hours on rough sea to save money.

"If only there was a health post here where people could have their health checked and sick ones treated," Yonias says.

"We've lived like a prisoners on this island for years, held hostage by mosquitoes."

--Emmy Fitri

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