I don’t need reminding – I know the statistics all too well. A child dies from malaria every 45 seconds. And every one of those deaths could have been prevented. That’s why I’m so excited about the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) – through this campaign, Lutherans are part of a global movement to stop these needless deaths.
Last night, our partner in LMI, the United Nations Foundation, co-sponsored a reception honoring Champions to End Malaria. If the turnout was any indication, the movement and momentum to end malaria deaths is only growing stronger. The guests of honor, from a North Carolina Boy Scout who hiked a hundred miles to raise awareness and money, to the two U.S. senators who co-chair the bipartisan Senate Working Group on Malaria, talked about the global movement and the important part that each of us plays.
Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who, with former Sen. Russ Feingold, founded the working group, spoke of the measurable impact of the sustained effort to fight malaria, noting, “We can show that we’re getting results. We must now sustain our efforts to make sure we do not backslide. It is our moral responsibility.”
Sen. Chris Coons, from Delaware, co-chairs the working group with Sen. Wicker. He spoke of his time living in Kenya, noting, “I remember meeting children who said they were the oldest in the family, but that they were the fourth born … The problem of malaria is so big, and yet so unnecessary.”
But maybe the most inspiring speech of the night was from Nathaniel Stafford. A dedicated Boy Scout, he decided he wanted to do something big in honor of Scouting’s 100th anniversary. He decided on a 100-mile hike. Then his mother suggested maybe he could use his hike to raise funds for a good cause, and a malaria champion was born. He set his goal at $10,000, and so far he’s raised $7,000 and counting. “This is showing kids that anybody can do something,” he said. “This is a disease that kills kids, and it doesn’t have to.”
He’s absolutely right. It doesn’t have to. And we can all do something to stop it. Visit lutheranmalaria.org to find out how to get involved.
Emily Sollie is LWR’s Director for Creative Services.