But even with these practices, the family still faced a challenge. Their mosquito net protected them while they slept, but it did not fully protect the other spaces where life happens: the living room, corridors, and areas where the family sits, rests, and spends time before going to bed. For Maritha, this was more than an inconvenience.
As a pregnant woman, she worried about her own health and the well-being of her unborn child.
As a pregnant woman, she worried about her own health and the well-being of her unborn child.
Accessing care is also not always easy. A motorbike ride to the health center for antenatal care costs about RWF 2,500 one way, a significant expense for a young farming household. While Maritha remains committed to attending antenatal care, the cost and distance make prevention at home even more important.
In Bugesera District, Ngeruka Sector, Kigarama Village, 20-year-old Niyigena Maritha is preparing for the birth of her first child. At seven months pregnant, she carries the hopes and worries familiar to many expectant mothers: staying healthy, protecting her unborn baby, and making sure her home is as safe as possible.
For Maritha and her husband, 22-year-old Ndayishimye Bosco, malaria prevention has always been part of daily life. Like many families in their community, they use mosquito nets and follow recommended practices such as closing doors and windows early in the evening. Bosco sums up their approach with a familiar Rwandan saying: “Kwirinda kuruta kwivuza” — prevention is better than cure.
For Maritha, the change was felt quickly. “The tool is great because of its effectiveness,” she says. “We used to depend only on the mosquito net, but it was limited to the bedroom. Most times, I would find myself thinking about my unborn child and wondering if we would be confined to the bedroom for all our activities because that is where the protection was’’.
“Today, I have no worries at all. We literally have no mosquitoes in the room, and this even extends to other spaces like the corridors. I feel really blessed.” Testifies Marita
Implemented by SFH Rwanda in partnership with SC Johnson, the Guardian™ spatial repellent deployment is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen malaria prevention in high-burden communities. The initiative complements existing malaria control tools such as insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, timely diagnosis, treatment, and community health education.
Through the trusted network of community health workers, households are not only receiving the product, but also learning how to use it correctly and consistently.
From March -April 2025, SFH Rwanda deployed 57,900 Guardian units’ country wide through SFH’s social marketing channels, scaled up Guardian™ deployment through targeted free distribution, community outreach, behavior change communication, and mass media engagement.
Implemented by SFH Rwanda in partnership with SC Johnson, the Guardian™ spatial repellent deployment is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen malaria prevention in high-burden communities. The initiative complements existing malaria control tools such as insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, timely diagnosis, treatment, and community health education.
Through the trusted network of community health workers, households are not only receiving the product, but also learning how to use it correctly and consistently.
From March -April 2025, SFH Rwanda deployed 57,900 Guardian units’ country wide through SFH’s social marketing channels, scaled up Guardian™ deployment through targeted free distribution, community outreach, behavior change communication, and mass media engagement.
Through targeted free deployment from February to March 2026, 20,579 Guardian™ units were distributed across high-risk districts, reaching 1,963 households and directly protecting 15,704 individuals. In addition, 37,321 units were deployed through SFH Rwanda’s social marketing channels nationwide, expanding access beyond the initial free distribution areas.
20,579
Guardian™ units distributed free (Feb–Mar 2026)
1,963
Households reached through free distribution
1250+
Individuals directly protected
37,321
Additional units deployed via social marketing( March 2025-April 2026)
The experience in Kigarama Village also reflects a broader community response. In the same area, 26-year-old Tuyishime Janet and her husband, Iradukunda Jean Pierre, received Guardian™ spatial repellent after Janet had experienced malaria early in her pregnancy. The illness disrupted her work and left her fearful of falling sick again. Both Marita and Janet families have strong testimonies of how malaria prevention is not only a clinical issue. It is also about household confidence, maternal protection, economic stability, and trust in community-based health systems. When prevention tools reach families through people they know and trust, such as community health workers, they become part of everyday behavior.
In Bugesera and other high-burden areas, Guardian™ spatial repellent is helping families strengthen protection in the spaces where daily life unfolds. For Maritha, preparing for motherhood now comes with greater peace of mind. For Janet, it means fewer worries about another episode of malaria during pregnancy. For Bosco and Jean Pierre, it means protecting the health of their families while preserving their ability to work and provide. Together, their stories remind us that malaria prevention is not simply about avoiding illness, it is about safeguarding pregnancy, protecting livelihoods, and giving families the confidence to thrive.
“Kwirinda biruta kwivuza.”
Prevention is better than cure.