This year our team from Oklahoma together with Light Mission Africa held a jiggers clinic in one of the local schools in Kenya. We had not seen jiggers before, so our team was not sure what to expect. What we learned was very surprising!

 Jiggers are small fleas that live in dust. When people walk around without shoes on, these fleas burrow into the skin and lay around 20 eggs per flea (shown in pictures). These eggs grow and then burst which is how they spread around the feet. These jiggers become very painful for people because it breeds on blood and can cause mental illness, infection in the body, and even death.

The treatment for these fleas is fairly simple. The first step is to clean the infected area. Next, they need to soak the area in medication that draws out the fleas. Finally, the infected area is covered in vaseline.

 To rid the fleas from an area is a bit more expensive (averaging around $100 per house) because it requires insecticide to be sprayed.

To treat someone with jiggers costs roughly $150 total which includes the cleaning of the feet and spraying of the household.

This experience was one of the most memorable for me this year. I would love to see this project become something we do on a normal basis.

 Jeff Baldie
#loveinaction