Japan's Insect Repellent Culture to Save the World! NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)'s 10-Year Project ~ "A World Where Screen Doors Are Normal" ~
NPO S.O.L. is promoting the spread of simple screen doors "AMIDO" in Sri Lanka to combat dengue fever and aims for cultural transformation through a 10-year project.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 16:20
## Press Release Information
### About NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)
We plan and conduct educational facility visit tours and business matching tours in Sri Lanka, while promoting cultural exchange and providing information about Sri Lanka. We also support activities related to animal attacks in Sri Lanka (Our organization endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is a dream of "NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)").
### The Great Flood in Sri Lanka
In December 2025, Sri Lanka was in a dire situation. Due to a cyclone, 20% of the country's land was affected by flood disaster.
Dengue fever often spreads after floods.
This raised concerns that this year might see a major outbreak, similar to or even worse than 2017.
Roads and railways were cut off. Public transport was unusable, and people tried to move by truck.
Therefore, the first activity in 2026 was decided to be a crowdfunding campaign to install AMIDO in hospital neonatal intensive care units.
### The Beginning of the AMIDO Project
Since 2022, S.O.L. has been advocating "Japan's insect repellent culture will save the world!" and, with its partners, has been promoting the spread of simple screen doors in Sri Lanka.
Five years prior, in 2017, Sri Lanka experienced a major dengue fever epidemic, described as the worst "since the country began." At that time, I was staying in Sri Lanka and felt a sense of unease.
The red line shows the number of dengue fever patients. It is clear that 2017 was a major epidemic.
Dengue fever is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Normally, one would want to avoid mosquito bites.
However, no one applied insect repellent cream. Mosquito coils were not used, with people saying they were "bad for the throat" or "a waste."
Following Buddhist teachings, people avoided taking lives, even hesitating to swat a mosquito.
And what was most shocking was that windows and entrances were left open without screen doors.
Mosquitoes and flies freely flew around inside homes.
That's right. The concept of "insect repellent" itself did not exist there.
I was desperate. I applied insect repellent cream, burned mosquito coils, and tried to protect at least my immediate surroundings.
Seeing me, the locals laughed and said, "Japanese people are so nervous."
### The Birth of AMIDO
After returning to Japan, I shared this experience with my colleagues, and the president of a construction company, a member of S.O.L., took action, saying, "Then let's make simple screen doors."
The design allowed anyone to install them using materials available at home centers.
They were inexpensive and could be repaired by oneself if broken. This was a "technology that supports daily life."
Windows in Sri Lankan homes vary in size and shape, so ready-made screen doors do not fit.
Ordering custom-made ones would cost several times a month's salary.
That's why being able to "make it yourself" was significant.
### Dengue Fever Prevention Classes Held
In March 2025, with the cooperation of Kurunegala City in Sri Lanka, we held three dengue fever prevention classes.
The target audience included Public Health Inspectors (PHI), construction workers, and industrial students.
We conducted a survey after the classes, and the results were surprising.
100% of participants "did not know about AMIDO." Even in this age where information from around the world is available.
However, at the same time, many people answered that they "wanted to incorporate it into their daily lives."
"People need it, they just don't know about it."
That was the moment I became convinced.
The memorable first dengue fever prevention class. Public health inspectors and construction department officials gathered at the call of the Mayor of Kurunegala.
### And This Year, the Neonatal AMIDO Project
Newborn babies cannot swat away mosquitoes themselves.
If they contract dengue fever, it can be life-threatening.
One screen can save a life.
That is by no means an exaggeration.
During the crowdfunding period, we asked a local coordinator to contact hospitals where AMIDO could be installed.
Dengue patients are gathered in dengue patient rooms... but during epidemics, there isn't enough space, and some people have to stay in the corridors.
### Arrival on Site! But Many Walls Awaited
In February 2026, thanks to the cooperation of many people through crowdfunding, we arrived on site full of enthusiasm.
However, what awaited us there were "invisible walls" far beyond our imagination.
First, we faced the lingering issue of caste. Many people showed resistance to working with girls from orphanages.
While Buddhist teachings are widespread and many people act with compassion,
there was a reality in Sri Lanka where even "good things" were not immediately accepted.
Furthermore, installation in hospitals was not easy. Initially, we planned to attach AMIDO directly to the walls, but permission was denied due to the aging of the buildings. We had to quickly change to a method of installing wooden frames inside and attaching AMIDO to them. This significantly increased both time and cost.
Also, the on-site work was not straightforward. Even if the hospital's top management gave the green light, decisions at the site level could halt progress. There were times when carpenters did not show up at the hospital on the agreed installation day, and we couldn't reach them.
And most difficult of all was giving shape to something that had "never been seen before."
### To the Ministry of Health!
Amidst all this, there was also good news.
Most hospitals in Sri Lanka are national hospitals, so national permission is required for any work done there.
To obtain permission for AMIDO installation, we were scheduled to go to the Ministry of Health and give a presentation about AMIDO.
We brought two types of AMIDO samples and explained the mechanism of AMIDO and S.O.L.'s activities.
With the head of the National Dengue Control Unit of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health.
As expected, the dengue department of the Ministry of Health was aware of screen doors, so the presentation went smoothly. We learned that they had been concerned about hospitals unintentionally spreading dengue fever due to the large number of dengue patients admitted, but had left the issue unaddressed.
They endorsed S.O.L.'s plan, and
Surprisingly!!
They proposed, "When S.O.L. sends materials from Japan, let's reduce the tariff from 200% to zero!"
To deliberate this proposal in the Sri Lankan Parliament, we were introduced to the department responsible for submitting bills to Parliament on the same day and received an explanation of the procedures.
Finally, the Sri Lankan Parliament?! Isn't that amazing?
We also received a lot of internal Ministry of Health documents related to dengue fever, and our steps on the way back that day were very light.
### Insect Repellent: From "Individual Ingenuity" to "Social System."
We are now on the verge of entering that stage.
It is still in the application stage, so the future is uncertain.
However, we have definitely taken another step closer to our dream.
Of course, there are still many problems and walls.
Nevertheless, we cannot stop here.
We will overcome each one and move forward.
Sample of curtain-type AMIDO made with girls from the orphanage.
### Towards a Big Dream for the Future
Our dream is simple.
"To make screen doors a normal part of the world."
This culture, which is commonplace in Japan,
becomes an infrastructure that protects lives across the sea.
Curtain-type AMIDO installed to partition rooms with dengue patients. This provides some peace of mind.
And we have another dream.
That is for local people themselves to learn this technology,
teach it, and become the bearers of its spread.
Girls from the girls' home have already started working as instructors for dengue fever prevention classes.
From being supported to becoming supporters.
The day we see that change happen is truly eagerly awaited.
It might take more than 10 years.
But it's okay to go slowly.
Step by step, we want to establish this culture.
Without a dream, you can't do it.
Because we have a dream, we've come this far.
Because we have a dream, we can surely achieve it!
S.O.L. will continue its journey, aiming for the day when Japan's insect repellent culture protects lives worldwide.
Our organization endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is a dream of "NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)."
We also conduct support activities related to incidents where humans are harmed by wildlife.
### S.O.L.'s Activities for Dengue Fever Control
- Since 2017, approximately 330 kg of mosquito coils (donated by Lion Chemical Co., Ltd.) have been distributed to over 6,000 people, including educational facilities, nursing homes, facilities for people with disabilities, and agricultural workers in Sri Lanka, with the cooperation of institutions such as Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Lions Clubs.
- Visited national hospitals during the 2017 dengue fever epidemic.
- Since 2019, conducted surveys on insect repellent in facilities, educational institutions, and Sri Lankan resident communities.
- May 2021: Started a demonstration experiment of screen doors in Polgahawela, Kurunegala Province, Sri Lanka.
- November 2021: Developed the S.O.L. screen door (AMIDO) kit.
- November 2022: Met with Ambassador Rodney Perera at the Sri Lankan Embassy to discuss the potential of the AMIDO kit.
- March 2023: Applied for NGO establishment in Sri Lanka to conduct more active operations there.
- December 2023: Featured on NHK Ohayo Nippon "OhaBiz."
- January 2024: Featured on NHK WORLD-JAPAN Biz Stream.
- August 2024: Dengue Fever Prevention Class Project adopted by the JICA Fund.
- October 2024: Obtained NGO certification from the Sri Lankan government.
- November 2024: Started online study sessions for dengue fever prevention class preparation as a project adopted by the "JICA Fund for the People of the World."
- March 2025: Held dengue fever prevention classes at Kurunegala Municipal Council and other locations as a project adopted by the "JICA Fund for the People of the World."
- June 2025: Met with the next Ambassador, Pivithuru Janaka Kumarasinghe, regarding potential cooperation with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health and dengue fever researchers.
- February 2026: Conducted the "Neonatal AMIDO Project" at national hospitals in Sri Lanka as a dengue fever countermeasure after the floods.
### Company Profile
Legal Name: NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)
Legal Address: Headquarters/1-50-1 Kasuganishimachi, Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture
Sapporo Branch/3-18 Fushiko 11-jo 2-chome, Higashi-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
NGO SOLO/ No.37, 1st Lane Welangolla Waththa Kurunegala Sri Lanka
HP: https://www.seedoflanka.com/
Facebook page
Keywords: Dengue fever, Sri Lanka, Screen door, Orphanage, International contribution, April Dream, Tea country, Insect bite, Mosquito, Hospital
### About NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)
We plan and conduct educational facility visit tours and business matching tours in Sri Lanka, while promoting cultural exchange and providing information about Sri Lanka. We also support activities related to animal attacks in Sri Lanka (Our organization endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is a dream of "NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)").
### The Great Flood in Sri Lanka
In December 2025, Sri Lanka was in a dire situation. Due to a cyclone, 20% of the country's land was affected by flood disaster.
Dengue fever often spreads after floods.
This raised concerns that this year might see a major outbreak, similar to or even worse than 2017.
Roads and railways were cut off. Public transport was unusable, and people tried to move by truck.
Therefore, the first activity in 2026 was decided to be a crowdfunding campaign to install AMIDO in hospital neonatal intensive care units.
### The Beginning of the AMIDO Project
Since 2022, S.O.L. has been advocating "Japan's insect repellent culture will save the world!" and, with its partners, has been promoting the spread of simple screen doors in Sri Lanka.
Five years prior, in 2017, Sri Lanka experienced a major dengue fever epidemic, described as the worst "since the country began." At that time, I was staying in Sri Lanka and felt a sense of unease.
The red line shows the number of dengue fever patients. It is clear that 2017 was a major epidemic.
Dengue fever is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Normally, one would want to avoid mosquito bites.
However, no one applied insect repellent cream. Mosquito coils were not used, with people saying they were "bad for the throat" or "a waste."
Following Buddhist teachings, people avoided taking lives, even hesitating to swat a mosquito.
And what was most shocking was that windows and entrances were left open without screen doors.
Mosquitoes and flies freely flew around inside homes.
That's right. The concept of "insect repellent" itself did not exist there.
I was desperate. I applied insect repellent cream, burned mosquito coils, and tried to protect at least my immediate surroundings.
Seeing me, the locals laughed and said, "Japanese people are so nervous."
### The Birth of AMIDO
After returning to Japan, I shared this experience with my colleagues, and the president of a construction company, a member of S.O.L., took action, saying, "Then let's make simple screen doors."
The design allowed anyone to install them using materials available at home centers.
They were inexpensive and could be repaired by oneself if broken. This was a "technology that supports daily life."
Windows in Sri Lankan homes vary in size and shape, so ready-made screen doors do not fit.
Ordering custom-made ones would cost several times a month's salary.
That's why being able to "make it yourself" was significant.
### Dengue Fever Prevention Classes Held
In March 2025, with the cooperation of Kurunegala City in Sri Lanka, we held three dengue fever prevention classes.
The target audience included Public Health Inspectors (PHI), construction workers, and industrial students.
We conducted a survey after the classes, and the results were surprising.
100% of participants "did not know about AMIDO." Even in this age where information from around the world is available.
However, at the same time, many people answered that they "wanted to incorporate it into their daily lives."
"People need it, they just don't know about it."
That was the moment I became convinced.
The memorable first dengue fever prevention class. Public health inspectors and construction department officials gathered at the call of the Mayor of Kurunegala.
### And This Year, the Neonatal AMIDO Project
Newborn babies cannot swat away mosquitoes themselves.
If they contract dengue fever, it can be life-threatening.
One screen can save a life.
That is by no means an exaggeration.
During the crowdfunding period, we asked a local coordinator to contact hospitals where AMIDO could be installed.
Dengue patients are gathered in dengue patient rooms... but during epidemics, there isn't enough space, and some people have to stay in the corridors.
### Arrival on Site! But Many Walls Awaited
In February 2026, thanks to the cooperation of many people through crowdfunding, we arrived on site full of enthusiasm.
However, what awaited us there were "invisible walls" far beyond our imagination.
First, we faced the lingering issue of caste. Many people showed resistance to working with girls from orphanages.
While Buddhist teachings are widespread and many people act with compassion,
there was a reality in Sri Lanka where even "good things" were not immediately accepted.
Furthermore, installation in hospitals was not easy. Initially, we planned to attach AMIDO directly to the walls, but permission was denied due to the aging of the buildings. We had to quickly change to a method of installing wooden frames inside and attaching AMIDO to them. This significantly increased both time and cost.
Also, the on-site work was not straightforward. Even if the hospital's top management gave the green light, decisions at the site level could halt progress. There were times when carpenters did not show up at the hospital on the agreed installation day, and we couldn't reach them.
And most difficult of all was giving shape to something that had "never been seen before."
### To the Ministry of Health!
Amidst all this, there was also good news.
Most hospitals in Sri Lanka are national hospitals, so national permission is required for any work done there.
To obtain permission for AMIDO installation, we were scheduled to go to the Ministry of Health and give a presentation about AMIDO.
We brought two types of AMIDO samples and explained the mechanism of AMIDO and S.O.L.'s activities.
With the head of the National Dengue Control Unit of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health.
As expected, the dengue department of the Ministry of Health was aware of screen doors, so the presentation went smoothly. We learned that they had been concerned about hospitals unintentionally spreading dengue fever due to the large number of dengue patients admitted, but had left the issue unaddressed.
They endorsed S.O.L.'s plan, and
Surprisingly!!
They proposed, "When S.O.L. sends materials from Japan, let's reduce the tariff from 200% to zero!"
To deliberate this proposal in the Sri Lankan Parliament, we were introduced to the department responsible for submitting bills to Parliament on the same day and received an explanation of the procedures.
Finally, the Sri Lankan Parliament?! Isn't that amazing?
We also received a lot of internal Ministry of Health documents related to dengue fever, and our steps on the way back that day were very light.
### Insect Repellent: From "Individual Ingenuity" to "Social System."
We are now on the verge of entering that stage.
It is still in the application stage, so the future is uncertain.
However, we have definitely taken another step closer to our dream.
Of course, there are still many problems and walls.
Nevertheless, we cannot stop here.
We will overcome each one and move forward.
Sample of curtain-type AMIDO made with girls from the orphanage.
### Towards a Big Dream for the Future
Our dream is simple.
"To make screen doors a normal part of the world."
This culture, which is commonplace in Japan,
becomes an infrastructure that protects lives across the sea.
Curtain-type AMIDO installed to partition rooms with dengue patients. This provides some peace of mind.
And we have another dream.
That is for local people themselves to learn this technology,
teach it, and become the bearers of its spread.
Girls from the girls' home have already started working as instructors for dengue fever prevention classes.
From being supported to becoming supporters.
The day we see that change happen is truly eagerly awaited.
It might take more than 10 years.
But it's okay to go slowly.
Step by step, we want to establish this culture.
Without a dream, you can't do it.
Because we have a dream, we've come this far.
Because we have a dream, we can surely achieve it!
S.O.L. will continue its journey, aiming for the day when Japan's insect repellent culture protects lives worldwide.
Our organization endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is a dream of "NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)."
We also conduct support activities related to incidents where humans are harmed by wildlife.
### S.O.L.'s Activities for Dengue Fever Control
- Since 2017, approximately 330 kg of mosquito coils (donated by Lion Chemical Co., Ltd.) have been distributed to over 6,000 people, including educational facilities, nursing homes, facilities for people with disabilities, and agricultural workers in Sri Lanka, with the cooperation of institutions such as Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Lions Clubs.
- Visited national hospitals during the 2017 dengue fever epidemic.
- Since 2019, conducted surveys on insect repellent in facilities, educational institutions, and Sri Lankan resident communities.
- May 2021: Started a demonstration experiment of screen doors in Polgahawela, Kurunegala Province, Sri Lanka.
- November 2021: Developed the S.O.L. screen door (AMIDO) kit.
- November 2022: Met with Ambassador Rodney Perera at the Sri Lankan Embassy to discuss the potential of the AMIDO kit.
- March 2023: Applied for NGO establishment in Sri Lanka to conduct more active operations there.
- December 2023: Featured on NHK Ohayo Nippon "OhaBiz."
- January 2024: Featured on NHK WORLD-JAPAN Biz Stream.
- August 2024: Dengue Fever Prevention Class Project adopted by the JICA Fund.
- October 2024: Obtained NGO certification from the Sri Lankan government.
- November 2024: Started online study sessions for dengue fever prevention class preparation as a project adopted by the "JICA Fund for the People of the World."
- March 2025: Held dengue fever prevention classes at Kurunegala Municipal Council and other locations as a project adopted by the "JICA Fund for the People of the World."
- June 2025: Met with the next Ambassador, Pivithuru Janaka Kumarasinghe, regarding potential cooperation with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health and dengue fever researchers.
- February 2026: Conducted the "Neonatal AMIDO Project" at national hospitals in Sri Lanka as a dengue fever countermeasure after the floods.
### Company Profile
Legal Name: NPO S.O.L. (Seed of Lanka)
Legal Address: Headquarters/1-50-1 Kasuganishimachi, Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture
Sapporo Branch/3-18 Fushiko 11-jo 2-chome, Higashi-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
NGO SOLO/ No.37, 1st Lane Welangolla Waththa Kurunegala Sri Lanka
HP: https://www.seedoflanka.com/
Facebook page
Keywords: Dengue fever, Sri Lanka, Screen door, Orphanage, International contribution, April Dream, Tea country, Insect bite, Mosquito, Hospital
FAQ
What is AMIDO?
AMIDO is a simple screen door that anyone can cheaply make from home center materials, adapted to Sri Lankan housing conditions. It aims to prevent dengue fever.
Why are screen doors needed in Sri Lanka?
Dengue fever is prevalent in Sri Lanka, and screen doors are needed to protect lives from mosquito-borne infections, especially in a region where the concept of insect repellent is not common.
What is S.O.L.'s ultimate goal?
S.O.L.'s ultimate goal is to create a world where screen doors are commonplace and local people become the bearers of learning, teaching, and spreading this technology themselves.