Shortly after having our workshop and meet up for “The Lazaurs Effect”, ONE members in Minnesota gathered to learn about malaria. Despite the many things going on in the Twin Cities this weekend, we had a great turn out and 18 members took time out of a beautiful summer afternoon to hear about how they can help eradicate malaria!
I took what I learned from being part of the Malaria Griot Project and presented on what the disease is, it’s impact, history, treatment and prevention methods as well as how people can get involved. Along with this information on malaria, I touched on The Global Fund. Many of our members were interested in learning more about The Global Fund after hearing about it during “The Lazarus Effect” meet up. I told them about the effect The Global Fund has on combatting malaria and how important telling our representatives that we support it will be in the coming months.
We even had an engaging discussion at the end, where several new and familiar faces talked about ways they can help. I had several new faces tell me afterwards that they are looking forward to future events and meeting with our congress-people and senators during the August recess! I am so happy to kick-off my year-long plan for fighting malaria with so much support and enthusiasm from my fellow ONE Twin Cities members!
-Reena Dhake – ONE Twin Cities Congressional District Leader and Malaria Griot
As part of my final Malaria Griots project and in an effort to begin actively educating people in my community about the emergency of malaria, I hosted my first malaria awareness presentation in Chicago this past weekend. It was an informative event aimed at making people aware of what malaria is and what we can do to help, right from Chicago. The presentation included a description of the disease, the history, some success stories, and ways that people can get involved. I spoke about some of the effective programs currently in place such as The Global Fund and the President’s Malaria Initiative. I asked people to be advocates for the fight against malaria by urging their elected leaders to provide support for legislation that makes efforts like The Global Fund possible and I offered my help for any events that they would like to create on their own.
Everyone was very engaged by asking thoughtful questions and participating in a great discussion. I spoke about my Griot One-Year Action plan and many of those who attended were interested in participating in the upcoming events. I am happy with the way everything went and I am excited to see where we go with what will sure be an active anti-malaria movement in Chicago!
-Tzviatko Chiderov, Malaria Griot and ONE Congressional District Leader from Illinois
Here’s a look at another member of our inspiring group of Malaria Griots. In case you forget, the Malaria Griots Project (beta edition) is an interactive program designed to train passionate volunteers into powerful spokespersons in the fight against malaria.
Where he calls home: Right now it’s San Jose, California. Two years ago it was Denver. For most of his life it was Northern Illinois.
What word best describes him: Forward
Best advice he’s ever given: Be happy. He thinks it’s pretty important.
Best advice he’s ever received: Giving one’s best is a success even if the final outcome is not.
Favorite book: “In the Hand of Dante,” by Nick Tosches
What the phrase “Malaria Griots” means to him: Someone who is empowered to speak about the greatest public health emergency of all time.
Why he got involved with Malaria Griots Program: When Tim first got the email about the Malaria Griots program, he knew it was going be big—and he wanted to get involved. When he applied, he was also halfway through the Faiths Act Fellowship, a brand new endeavor by the Interfaith Youth Core and Tony Blair Faith Foundation. He was already spending most of his days talking about malaria, so this seemed like a perfect way to gain new skills and tools for his work.
How the program is going: He’s a big fan of the Malaria Griot model. By attacking from two sides (advocacy and awareness), he feels like the Griots are becoming masters at getting people on board and explaining the history, science, and future of this terrible disease. It’s like a proper college course, but one that expertly melds theory and practice.
What does he plan to do with what he learns? While Tim no longer works full-time as a malaria cheerleader (so to speak), he won’t stop agitating on behalf of the billions of people threatened by this disease. The knowledge and connections that he’s gained through Malaria Griots has made him a better advocate in the future. As Tim believes, until we reach zero malaria deaths, there will still be work to do.
Here’s a look at another member of our inspiring group of Malaria Griots.
Name: Reena Dhake
Occupation: Financial analyst
Where she calls home: Naperville, Illinois
What she wanted to be when she grew up: A psychiatrist
What word best describes her: Sincere
Best advice she’s ever been given: Trust yourself
Favorite book: “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling
Biggest passion: Reena’s discovered that she has two big passions. One is to learn about others and their experiences. The other is to empower those that don’t have the resources to empower themselves—something she’s worked hard to do as an active ONE volunteer. In fact, you may recognize her from earlier posts on the ONE blog. She’s “banded” congresswomen, hosted picnics with bed nets to help kick malaria out for good, even co-hosted an hour-long radio show to raise awareness about extreme poverty and preventable disease.
Why she got involved with the Malaria Griots Project: She saw this as a great opportunity to learn more about how to be an unbelievable advocate and how to get her community involved.
How the program is going: It’s been challenging, engaging and full of inspiring moments. The assignments in particular have helped her think about advocacy in new ways—and have even forced her to use parts of her computer that she’s never touched before!
What does she plan to do with what he learns? Reena plans to take all that’s she’s learned and engage and inspire her community in lots of exciting new ways. She’s ready to show people that malaria is a horrible disease, but one that we can get rid of it—so time to get to work!
If she could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be:
Exciting news! Kristine Silvestri, one of the inaugural Malaria Griots, is featured on Nick Kristof’s blog today. She talks about her time as a student in Ghana—and her battle with malaria while she was visiting the country. Here’s an excerpt:
Life and good health are gifts; the country of one’s birth or the color of one’s skin should not determine who receives these gifts. Today, I passionately advocate for better care in the developing world, and hope to see an end to deaths and disability from malaria in my lifetime.
In West Africa, a Griot is a storyteller, a singer, a history keeper and an agent of cultural change. Echoing this tradition, ONE and Malaria No More are excited to announce the launch of the Malaria Griots Project (beta edition), a program designed to train passionate volunteers into powerful spokespersons in the fight against malaria.
What does it mean to become a Malaria Griot?
Selected Malaria Griots will kick-off their experience with an online course exclusively designed with Elliott Masie, the chair of the Learning CONSORTIUM and an early pioneer in distance learning and e-Learning. This five month, in-depth course—which will be housed on Blackboard Inc.’s online learning ProSitesTM platform—will include live discussions with leading malaria experts, access to cutting-edge articles, and the opportunity to participate in current malaria campaigns. As one of the inaugural students in the Malaria Griots program, you will witness stories of Africans fighting to overcome the disease, work with engaging multimedia content, and ultimately become a leading advocate in the fight against malaria.
Through this interactive course, ONE and Malaria No More will equip you with the tools to be a local advocate in your community, a spokesperson for the media, an engaging presenter at neighborhood church basement meetings and an educator to everyone you meet. We need more Griots working to change lives and help rid the world of disease. This is your opportunity to be a part of the story and to truly make a difference.
What You’ll Do
Successfully complete five month, intensive education course for Griot program
Develop a 12-month outreach and activity plan
Speak at public events about malaria and the work to eradicate the disease
Interact with local media, political leaders and their staffs
Participate in ongoing information sessions via conference call, video chat or in person
Recruit volunteers and other advocates for the malaria cause
What We’re Looking For
Public speaking experience
Ability to learn and navigate new technology; access to computer with audio/video capabilities
Willingness to learn
Persuasive communication skills
Time and travel flexibility within a state or region
Interest in global health and advocacy
Civic interest and understanding
What You’ll Walk Away With
One of the very first students of the Malaria Griot course, a pioneer!
Ability to interact with and learn from leading malaria experts
Unbelievable access to articles, videos, engaging online content
Opportunity to serve as a community leader on life-saving global issue
Opportunity to truly help put an end to malaria worldwide
You can find the application form here (and the PDF version here). Completed forms should be emailed to griot@one.org by January 22.
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Name: Reena Dhake
