More Than Just Malaria…

Staring at Malaria right in the face

We came to Africa with a goal and that goal was to speak to the communities out here, to hear their stories and to learn about the effects of Malaria. Being here for a week now we understand that the goal is much bigger then what we first anticipated and that malaria is just a smaller part of the bigger picture.

You see the Faiths Act Fellows program and what we are doing here is very unique and pioneering in many ways and if successful I whole heartedly believe that we truly change the world for the better.

Think about the impacts faith based NGOs have both on a grass root level in fundraising, capacity building and raising awareness and then in the field by understanding the cultures and religious observances of the community. From my experiences in working with Muslim faith based NGOs in disaster response situations in Muslim lands such as the Pakistan earthquake and Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh it was these organizations that were the most effective. It is the faith of these organizations that really infuses the value of giving and compassion from people to the people.

Our dream of promoting interfaith relationships for positive social action using our common faith values is a new and very integral part on the global fight on poverty. Imagine a global movement of faiths using their best practises and cultures to benefit all of mankind; that is the dream of my role as a Faiths Act Fellow.

We are here in Tanzania to learn about Malaria and its impacts on its community and then to take back what we have learnt and the stories of the community to raise awareness and to lead a push towards a world where deaths due to malaria are eradicated. So how does this fit into the bigger picture?

Well the eradication of deaths due to malaria builds bridges in alleviating poverty. If we look at the Millennium Development Goalswe can make a distinct relationship in how this can be achieved and although the connections might seem obvious it is only while spending time here did we really see the connection for ourselves.

If we eradicate malaria we can stop breadwinners of the family from getting sick or even dying, reducing the time that the breadwinners are in hospital and away from their jobs which provide the incomes for their families. Even missing one or two days at work could financially cripple a family to live in extreme hunger for a month.

Malaria is a major cause of child mortality, especially Africa, and if we can eradicate deaths due to malaria we can actually empower an entire community. If children stop dying they live long enough to go to school and then get an education and then a job. This can effectively break entire societies out of the vicious poverty cycle.

So you can see how by taking malaria out of the equation it has a ripple effect and it elevates communities out of poverty.

Our job as Faiths Act Fellows is an important one and a journey that a group of 30 cannot do alone. To find out more about more about the Faiths Act Fellows program and how you can help visit:http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/projects/faiths-act/fellows/