News Release

22nd July 2011

Sonning Common Cub Pack Help Beat the Jigger with Feed The Children!

When local Soroptimist, Brenda Jenkins, visited the 1st Sonning Common Cub Pack to talk to them all about Feed The Children (UK)’s Jigger Campaign, the cubs immediately wanted to help ‘Stamp Out Jiggers’ by donating their old shoes and boots. Brenda returned this week to collect their boots and shoes for the charity.

“The cubs really took on the plight of the children in Uganda,” says Brenda. “The thought of heavy infestations that can lead to severe inflammation, gangrene, loss of toenails, toes, etc. and which causes constant pain and restriction in moving about leading to absences from school, really captured their imagination. So it is a big thank you to the cubs for donating their shoes and caring about school children less well of than themselves.”

The female sand flea (Tunga Penetrans), which is also known as a jigger in Uganda, is causing untold suffering to children.  Jiggers embed themselves predominately in the skin of children’s feet and ankles, where they feed on the blood and flesh of their host.  Heavy infestations can lead to severe inflammation, ulceration and fibrosis. Lymphangitis, gangrene, sepsis, the loss of toenails, auto-amputation of the digits and even death are potential outcomes. The females lay around 100 eggs each and thirty days later the process can start again.

The little flea with a big ‘bite’ is just one of the campaigns run by Feed The Children (UK), which is promoting a programme to help stamp it out from some of the worst affected areas in Africa. If you can help the charity’s two-year project, and other projects, simply visit www.feedthechildren.org.uk to find out more.