A story for Compassion International

This is a short story for Compassion International for World Malaria Day. It is written from the perspective of a mosquito. 
Hi, I am a mosquito living in Sub-Saharan Africa. I am feared by many people. I do have a full understanding of the reason for their fear. I would also be fearful of something that could do to me what my bite can do to the people that share the territory where I live.

I am one of the mosquitoes that carry a disease known as malaria. Many people die from my bite every year. It is a sad thing that my brethren and I cause such a horrible thing to happen to people.

I have landed on people that are suffering from the effects of my bite, and they are burning hot! It is uncomfortable for me to land on them. My feet feel the heat coming from them. I can tell by looking at many of the people suffering that they are in pain from the disease my bite causes. I do not understand the reason that people get this disease from my bite, but I do not suffer from this disease myself.

It is not my wish to cause such a horrible thing to people. I definitely do not want someone to die from my bite! The thing that hurts me the most is that many of the ones that die from my bite are children. It breaks my heart to see a child suffering from my bite. I wish that I was like my brethren that I have heard about that live in other places in the world. Their bite does not cause such a horrible disease. Their bite may cause a person to itch a little bit and usually goes away in a few days.

Unfortunately, I must bite people. It is how I eat! All I am doing when I bite is getting my supper. We are cursed with the disease that we spread. I think about it in this way, I need people, probably much more than they need me. Why would I want to harm you in such a way? It is a curse that we mosquitoes carry.

There is One that can break this curse though. He is the one that created all of us, you and me. He is able to remove this curse. Pray and ask Him to end the curse. He will guide and show you the way. As for me, I can only do so much and I do need to eat. You, however, are the ones that He loves.