Nothing But Nets

Everyone has the power to help save lives and the students of Kelsey Norman Elementary School know this better than anyone! Teacher and Nothing But Nets supporter Zach Holden brought the campaign to his third-grade class with resounding success this past school year after having read “Hate Mail from Cheerleaders” by Nothing But Nets Champion and inspiration Rick Reilly. Zach’s students were eager to try to raise awareness about malaria and challenged the entire school to raise funds for bed nets.

To begin their project, the students researched malaria, the United Nations, Nothing But Nets, and poverty in Africa, and then created an educational brochure on all they had learned. Deciding to engage their entire community, Zach’s students passed these brochures out not only to other students, but to local businesses and community members as well!  

Tournaments, concerts, bake sales, and races – our youth supporters do it all! We recently heard from Chicago-area Girl Scouts about their efforts to raise funds to help end malaria. After hearing about Nothing But Nets on television and checking out our website, the Junior Girl Scouts Troop 1635 decided they wanted to do a bake sale fundraiser to purchase life-saving bed nets for this year's service project. The fourth-grade girls put their heads together and decided to sell all kinds of goodies after mass at St. Thecla church.

First the girls made posters to announce their bake sale on May 2-3. For two nights prior to the sale, all eight girls pitched in to make delicious and creative treats such as chocolate-dipped strawberries, pretzels and marshmallows on a stick, cookies, Rice Krispie Treats, frosted cookies, and a special trail mix! 

In the past couple of months of working with the Nothing But Nets campaign, I noticed that many of our supporters have held various events or requested donations in lieu of presents in honor of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrations. I learned that the Hebrew word 'mitzvah' literally means 'commandment' and is understood to mean 'commanded to perform good deeds.' Considering the amount of lives saved by the funds raised through our supporters Bar and Bat Mitzvahs - good deeds have been performed, indeed! 

Recently, Nothing But Nets supporter Matthew Lawson informed the Rabbi (Rabbi Joel) at his synagogue (Congregation B'nai Jacob) that he wanted to raise money for Nothing But Nets in honor of becoming a Bar Mitzvah. They decided to hold a fundraiser for Nothing But Nets by hosting a basketball tournament including a free throw contest, 3-point contest and 3-on-3 games. The event raised more than $1200!
 

We are wrapping up a great DC City Tour and World Refugee Day this past Saturday – thanks to those of you who participated!

The multiple events and participation by celebrities, journalists and authors, partners and supporters like you allowed us to spread the word about malaria and the importance of spreading hope and sending nets to protect refugees. The District of Columbia  really stepped up to the plate when local partners committed to sending 10,000 bed nets to families in Africa.

On the heels of this, we know there’s a lot of information out there about refugees and their plight, and how malaria and other health issues intersect. With that in mind, we want you to ask us any questions you might have about refugee populations, and more specifically, how malaria impacts them. You can submit your question here, email us at info@nothingbutnets.net, or post a comment in response to this blog, and with the help of experts at the UN Foundation and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), we’ll compile answers and report back in a follow-up email and through our blog on NothingButNets.net! No question is too basic!

I would like to share with you how and why I am pleased to be a part of Nothing But Nets. I first became aware of the organization after reading Rick Reilly's article in Sports Illustrated. I am a former soccer player so the analogy of sending the 'wrong nets' was powerful. I have also been to Africa twice with a volunteer medical group and have seen first-hand the extreme poverty and need.

I tucked the info about Nothing But Nets in my head, thinking I should act on it. I went on with life, celebrating holidays and birthdays with family, struggling to think of new and unique gifts, especially for my parents. They are always telling us, "no presents please, just help someone else." My whole life they have been taking care of other people and putting family and loved ones first. My parents never took a vacation on their own without the kids, and my dad worked hard to take us to the beach every year.

Adrianna Logalbo also contributed to this blog

While at the World Refugee Day event at National Geographic in Washington, DC earlier this week, I realized how fortunate I am to have a home and all the basic necessities I need to live my life. I cannot fathom what it would have been like to be in the shoes of Rose Mapendo, a refugee mother of 10 who was imprisoned during the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Rose’s husband was executed at the prison and she was left with her children and the other widows and orphans who were fighting to survive. Each day she watched women and children led away by guards and she knew they would not return to their cells. She took care of the orphans and watched her friends die of hunger and sorrow. She said she believed the men were the lucky ones because they were killed quickly; it was the women and children who were left to fight for survival and their right to return home.

While in prison, Rose learned she was pregnant and gave birth to twins on the cold concrete floor of her cell surrounded by children.  To help her forgive her captors, she did the unthinkable and named her babies after the guards. With the help of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and others, Rose was able to leave the DRC and is now living in Arizona with her children. She said she can never forget the people she left behind in her country and has started a non-profit to help others. For her work, she was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year Award. 

We had a great time at Katherine Kennedy's Nothing But Nets happy hour last night at Skye Lounge in Washington, D.C.  Katherine is a young philanthropist and star of the upcoming reality show "Blonde Charity Mafia." She reached out to her NET-works via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs to spread the word about malaria and to garner support for Nothing But Nets.

A big crowd showed up at the club to support the campaign and learn more about malaria and how they can get involved. A $10 cover charge went towards the purchase and delivery of a bed net! Throughout the night, Mozzie the Mosquito buzzed about as young professionals from all around DC mingled for a cause.

Beneath sunny skies at the US Navy Memorial - one of the most highly-trafficked areas in Washington, DC - Nothing But Nets and local partners kicked off the DC City Tour yesterday with an awesome announcement: the city of DC is committing to raising funds to send 10,000 bed nets to refugees in Africa through our campaign and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

To get things started, Executive Director of Nothing But Nets Elizabeth Gore thanked all of our partners and supporters for helping us to continue to send nets and save lives from malaria in Africa. UNHCR Deputy Regional Representative Thomas Albrecht applauded the efforts of the UN Foundation and Nothing But Nets and said the UN agency was proud to have us as a partner in this effort. A malaria survivor himself, Albrecht said many refugees are not so lucky, and need all the protection they can get through insecticide-treated bed nets.