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Africa Subsaharan
Nothin' But Nets!
2006-11-23
I've never asked for anything before, right? Well, sorry, I'm asking now.

We need nets. Not hoop nets, soccer nets or lacrosse nets. Not New Jersey Nets or dot-nets or clarinets. Mosquito nets.

See, nearly 3,000 kids die every day in Africa from malaria. And according to the World Health Organization, transmission of the disease would be reduced by 60% with the use of mosquito nets and prompt treatment for the infected.

Three thousand kids! That's a 9/11 every day!

Put it this way: Let's say your little Justin's Kickin' Kangaroos have a big youth soccer tournament on Saturday. There are 15 kids on the team, 10 teams in the tourney. And there are 20 of these tournaments going on all over town. Suddenly, every one of these kids gets chills and fever, then starts throwing up and then gets short of breath. And in seven to 10 days, they're all dead of malaria.

We gotta get these nets. They're coated with an insecticide and cost between $4 and $6. You need about $10, all told, to get them shipped and installed. Some nets can cover a family of four. And they last four years. If we can cut the spread of disease, 10 bucks means a kid might get to live. Make it $20 and more kids are saved.

So, here's the ask: If you have ever gotten a thrill by throwing, kicking, knocking, dunking, slamming, putting up, cutting down or jumping over a net, please go to a special site we've set up through the United Nations Foundation. The address is: UNFoundation.org/malaria. Then just look for the big SI's Nothing But Net logo (or call 202-887-9040) and donate $20. Bang. You might have just saved a kid's life.
Posted by:Mike

#5  Czarts! And here I thought she wasn't paying attention.
Posted by: Shipman   2006-11-23 16:38  

#4  Perhaps we might seek to open a dialogue with the mosquitos. If there was better cross-cultural understanding, surely we could all get along.

On second thought, the mosquitos are merely the messenger, and it would be wrong to hold them accountable for the actions of others. I therefore call for a summit and global conference with the duly appointed representatives of the Plasmodium community.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-11-23 14:05  

#3  Rachel Carson's legacy. If they want money, go see the environmentalists who sentenced Africa to malaria and misery with the DDT. Hope Ms Carson is burning in Hell.
Posted by: RWV   2006-11-23 13:04  

#2  Amen. The UN "solution" is typical - treat the symptom, not the cause, by having people put money into a pot that they will manage. Yewbetcha.
Posted by: .com   2006-11-23 12:42  

#1  better to buy a gallon of DDT
Posted by: Frank G   2006-11-23 12:37  

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