“My little sister Alisha now lives in Heaven,” said six year old Rashid. “She died of malaria last year. She was only a year old then,” added the saddened mother, Ruksana Khan.

Living in unhygienic surroundings, the residents of Bajarang Nagar slum in Jaipur, especially children, have become vulnerable to sicknesses like malaria, diarrhoea and the like. Poverty, however, has forced them to continue living there.

The illiterate and poor parents of Rashid try their best to keep away the flies and mosquitoes from the children. However, “we could only afford to burn agarbatti (locally made incense) to keep the mosquitoes away, but it was not of much help,” the mother explained.

Alisha’s stay on earth was limited to just a year. Little did the parents know that her death could have been avoided. She had high fever for a few days and the parents in their best understanding thought the tablets from the chemist would make her well, but unfortunately it didn’t. It was only when World Vision health volunteer advised them to take her to the hospital that they did. However, it was too late. “The first hospital refused to admit her. So we took her to another government hospital,” recalls the mother. She only survived for another 24 hours and she succumb to her sickness. “Doctors told us that we brought her a little too late,” regrets the mother.

The loss of Alisha shattered the family and for many months they were not able to resume normalcy. “Rashid would tell me never go to the hospital again because muna (little one) was killed there”, the mother narrated. “The dress we brought for her to wear during Ramzan (Muslim festival) which she never wore always reminded me of her,” she added.

Smiles returned to the family only when another baby was born just two months ago in January. The little baby brother, Shakir has become Rashid’s favourite. He would cuddle him, kiss him and even look after him when the mother is busy.

A few months after Alisha’s death, Rashid’s family was given a mosquito net by World Vision. “This mosquito net is indeed a great relief for us. I make the three elder children sleep under it every night,” said the mother. Being a big family of four children and the parents, the family is trying to save up money and purchase another mosquito net.

As of now, the mother takes all the precautionary measure that she can to not lose another child. She tries her best to keep the surrounding within her reach clean, she continues the burning of agarbatti every evening and she never forgets to put the mosquito net up for the children before they sleep. “The children sleep peacefully under the mosquito net,” she said.