Sweeping Away Malaria
RAM-Global Leads National Cleaning Day in Iganga, Uganda
Article & Photos contributed by Dr. Munyamu Ismail, Executive Assistant – Africa Based, RAM-Global
How a broom, a drainage channel, and a united community became powerful tools in the fight against malaria.
RAM-Global, Rotary, Rotaract, and MYCU volunteers coordinate before the clean-up begins in Iganga District.
On Saturday, 25 July 2026, the streets of Iganga District came alive before sunrise—not with market noise, but with the sound of brooms sweeping, hoes clearing blocked drains, and a community united by one purpose: a cleaner, healthier, malaria-free Uganda.
As Uganda rolled out the National Cleaning Days (NACDs) Initiative, a Cabinet-approved program observed nationwide on the last Saturday of every month, RAM-Global stepped forward as a major supporter and lead partner for the Iganga District activity. Working alongside the Rotary Club of Iganga, Rotaract Club of Iganga, Malaria Youth Champions Uganda (MYCU), and Involve, volunteers took direct action against conditions that contribute to malaria transmission
More Than a Clean-Up
For RAM-Global, this was never simply about tidy streets. The fight against malaria is often won or lost in small, overlooked spaces—a blocked drain, an overgrown compound, or stagnant water collecting among waste. These are conditions where mosquitoes can breed and exactly what volunteers worked to eliminate.
Teams cleared choked drainage channels along Iganga’s main street, removed roadside waste, and hauled truckloads of refuse from the market area. Rotarians, Rotaractors, youth volunteers, and community members worked side by side with a shared message:
“Fighting malaria starts with a clean environment.”
Volunteers clear drainage channels and roadside waste—eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites one sweep at a time.
A Whole-of-Community Effort
What made the day remarkable was not only what was accomplished, but who came together to accomplish it. Rotarians and Rotaractors were joined by young advocates from Malaria Youth Champions Uganda and members of the community—a powerful reminder that malaria elimination requires participation from every generation.
By mid-morning, overgrown roadsides and refuse-choked gutters had been transformed—cleared, swept, and hauled away.
The team celebrates after successfully clearing waste from the Iganga market area.
People of Action
The Iganga initiative demonstrates how disease prevention, environmental action, and community engagement can work together in one meaningful day of service.
For RAM-Global, it also reflects what our organization is about: bringing Rotarians and partners together in the fight against malaria through advocacy, education, prevention, and direct action in the communities most affected.
The Work Continues
National Cleaning Day is not a one-time event. Activities return on the last Saturday of every month, and RAM-Global remains committed to supporting these efforts in Uganda as part of our broader malaria-elimination mission.
“A clean Uganda is everybody’s responsibility—and so is a malaria-free Uganda.”
To every Rotarian, Rotaractor, youth volunteer, and community champion who picked up a broom, cleared a drain, or hauled away waste—thank you.