Chillibreeze

Measure Success: Malaria Comic Book

We are testing the Malaria awareness comic book in some schools in Shillong India.

The success should be measured by its entertainment value. The malaria teaching is by osmosis. The malaria content is there. It is good so if it gets read then it is working. The goal is to get kids to enjoy it.

This may seem like an odd way to measure success but let me explain.

 

If it is good then its life will go way beyond the classroom. The kids  will take it home and their brothers and sisters will read it- even parents. But the story has to be good and the characters and illustrations have to be appealing.

We want it to be as good as any commerical comic book. It should not be like an NGO project where we do what we think the kids like. The market needs to prove that it is good. If it is good people will buy it.

 

This is also where I see the social entrepreneurship element. If it is good then it has commercial value and the project becomes sustainable. I am sure there are other ways to accomplish this but this is all I can think of for now.

Malaria Deaths Alarming in Meghalaya

Malaria Comic Book is Urgently Needed

The Government of India Secretary of Health Deepak Gupta told reporters that malaria related deaths in Meghalaya are alarming. 50% of deaths in the whole country of India are in North East India. - The Shillong Times May 30, 2007

Chillibreeze is rushing to complete a comic book so that village kids can learn about malaria. The comic book will have an action hero and will not resemble a informational booklet.