Mary and Martha

Wealthy American housewife Mary Morgan removes her son George from school after he is bullied and begins home education, which includes a trip to Southern Africa. While in Mozambique, George is bitten by a mosquito that crawls through a hole in his mosquito net and dies of malaria. After George's funeral at home, Mary feels compelled to return to Africa, where she meets English woman Martha O'Connell, whose 24-year-old son Ben, a teacher working with voluntary service overseas, also died of malaria. Ben had given his mosquito net to one of his pupils, believing adults could not catch the disease. The two women are shocked by the high death rate caused by malaria. While Martha remains in Africa as a volunteer, Mary campaigns to the American government for change. Martha later appears unannounced at Mary's home, and with the help of Mary's ex-diplomat father, they address a Senate committee on health spending, persuading it to take more action against malaria. Their efforts meet with some success, though a coda notes that much more remains to be done.