Rainer Arnhold Fellows

Millions of kids in developing countries are still suffering and dying from infectious diseases. It turns out though, that drastic improvements in child mortality and illness can come from simple behaviors in the home – things like mosquito nets, hand-washing, and giving kids with diarrhea more to eat and drink. Dave Jenkins, a Kiwi physician, was surfing in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia and was stunned by the child death rate. Uninterested in band-aid solutions, he founded SurfAid to create a viable model for child survival in remote, low-density settings like the Mentawai islands. SurfAid’s model is synthesized from a mix of proven interventions, and anchored by Mother’s Care Groups, which use peer-to-peer teaching networks to drive lasting behavior change in the home. 56 villages in the islands now have Care Groups, despite the 2005 tsunami that swept away progress and sidetracked SurfAid into crucial disaster relief. Now back on track, SurfAid provides a cost-effective solution for children in remote settings, bringing the promise of a healthy life for the numerous children in settings now beyond the range of effective care.