What are jiggers, and why do they cause so much pain in Uganda.
Jiggers are tiny sand fleas that burrow into the skin and can cause a painful condition called tungiasis. In rural Uganda, these parasites often attack the feet of children, leaving them unable to walk, attend school, or participate in daily life.
Sole Hope focuses on one clear goal. Help children and families break free from jiggers through medical care, education, protective shoes, and long term community support. We are one of the only organizations in the world dedicated to jiggers at this level, from treatment and prevention to advocacy and healing.
Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease that disproportionately affects people living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
School age children and the elderly often experience the most severe jigger infestations in rural communities.
Jiggers cause pain, disability, stigma, school exclusion, and deep emotional suffering.
What are jiggers.
Jiggers are tiny sand fleas, known as Tunga penetrans. When a female flea finds bare skin, usually on the feet or toes, she burrows in and anchors herself to a blood vessel. This causes tungiasis.
Within a few days the flea swells many times her size while laying eggs. The egg sac looks like a white or yellow bump with a dark center. When many fleas burrow in, they can cover a child’s feet or hands. Open wounds and cracked skin make it easy for bacteria to cause dangerous infections.
Where jiggers thrive.
Jiggers thrive in dry, dusty soil, cracked floors, and places where people walk barefoot. The problem is most common in rural areas with limited access to health care and basic services.
Children who play barefoot, families sleeping on earthen floors, and households sharing space with animals are most vulnerable. Poverty, crowded housing, and lack of information all increase risk.
How jiggers affect a child and their family.
Jiggers are small, but the damage they cause touches every part of life. The impact is physical, psychological, social, and spiritual.
Severe pain, itching, swelling, and open wounds. Children struggle to walk, sleep, and play.
Pain, shame, fear, anxiety, and loss of confidence. Children often feel dirty or forgotten.
Children may be teased, avoided, or sent home from school. Families face judgment and isolation.
Some communities believe jiggers are a curse. Children may feel unloved or abandoned by God.
Why are jiggers so neglected.
Jiggers affect people who are already on the margins. The disease is painful and visible, yet it remains under reported and under funded.
For many years tungiasis was absent from global disease lists. Since cases happen in rural areas with weak health systems, there is little data to push for support.
No data means little funding. Little funding means no programs. No programs mean children keep suffering. This is the gap Sole Hope steps into every day.
How jiggers are treated.
There is no pill that removes jiggers. Each flea must be removed carefully to avoid further damage.
At Sole Hope clinics, trained Ugandan staff:
- Wash and soak feet gently.
- Remove jiggers with sterile tools.
- Dress wounds to prevent infection.
- Provide pain relief and aftercare.
Severe cases receive extended care at the Hope Center in Jinja.
How jiggers can be prevented.
Jiggers can be prevented with simple steps.
- Wearing closed shoes.
- Keeping floors swept or improved.
- Learning how jiggers spread and how to seek treatment.
- Reducing contact with infested soil and areas around the home.
Every clinic visit is an opportunity to teach and equip families.
How Sole Hope responds to jiggers in Uganda.
Sole Hope exists to meet the jigger crisis at its source. Our work focuses on children and families who are the most affected and least likely to receive care.
Sole Hope focuses on four main areas.
- Clinic care and mobile outreach
Footwashing, jigger removal, wound care, and follow up treatment. - The Hope Center in Jinja
Safe housing, medical care, counseling, and recovery for severe cases. - Locally made protective shoes
Durable shoes crafted by Ugandan shoemakers and tailors. - Education, mental health, and spiritual care
Teaching schools and communities, addressing stigma, and offering counseling and prayer.
Through this work, Sole Hope has become a trusted authority on jiggers and tungiasis in Uganda.
Common questions about jiggers.
Are jiggers the same as chiggers or bed bugs.
No. Jiggers embed in the skin, while chiggers and bed bugs do not.
Are jiggers contagious.
Jiggers come from the environment, not from casual touch.
Can jiggers be removed.
Yes. With proper tools and aftercare, children can become jigger free.
Where is tungiasis most common.
Mostly in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda.
Give a child in Uganda the chance to walk without pain.
Jiggers should never decide whether a child can walk or learn. Your support helps provide care, shoes, and hope.
See how you can stand up to jiggers