Malaria No More and ONE are looking for passionate individuals to apply to the third course of the Malaria Griots Project! Based on outstanding success in the first two courses, we are eager to start teaching another class of Malaria Griots how to be advocates in their communities and to help achieve the first great humanitarian victory of this century -– an end to malaria deaths.

In West Africa, a Griot is a storyteller, a singer, a history keeper and an agent of cultural change. Echoing this tradition, Malaria Griots will learn to be powerful spokespersons in the fight against malaria. Through this online course, you find out about the innovative tools being used to end malaria deaths, and what the US is doing to fight malaria through the President’s Malaria Initiative and through contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. You will learn how to effectively convey your message –- whether when speaking to a policymaker, writing an op-ed or speaking at an event.

Selected Malaria Griots will take place in an eight week, in-depth course -– which will be housed on Blackboard Inc.’s online learning ProSitesTM platform -– that will include live discussions with leading malaria experts, access to cutting edge articles, and the opportunity to participate in current malaria campaigns. As a Malaria Griot, 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.

This is your opportunity to get involved and start making a difference — because with ONE voice we can make Malaria No More. Apply to be a Malaria Griot today!

What You’ll Do

What We’re Looking For

What You’ll Walk Away With

A malaria rapid test shown to us at the Hospital General de Grand Yoff

Arrived early this morning in Dakar, Senegal on a short trip with the good folks at Malaria No More. I’ve only been to Senegal once before, in 2005, but it is obvious how much as changed.

Our first briefing was with the USAID experts who implement the President’s Malaria Initiative, announced by the Bush administration in the run up to the 2005 Gleneagles G8. The PMI team reported that Senegal has seen a 30 percent decline in infant mortality from all causes between 2005 and 2008 –- and that one major reason has been progress against malaria.

Senegal is conducting this fight aggressively. With strong support from PMI and the Global Fund, Senegal was the first African country to introduce routine rapid tests, which make the diagnosis of malaria quicker (now taking about 10 minutes) and more accurate. It was the first African country to move toward the goal of universal bed net coverage, which it hopes to reach by the end of this year.

Defeating malaria –- one of the main killers of children in Africa -– is not a mystery. It requires the broad distribution and consistent use of insecticide treated bed nets, along with indoor residual spraying and treatment with effective combination drugs. It is a matter of will and resources.

Can’t wait to get out into the field over the next few days to see how PMI is being implemented.

ANNA GREEN, 17, high school student

This morning, we went to the Ibrahima Thiaw Parcelles Assainies School and watched its Malaria No More (MNM) club in action. The students performed songs and skits all around basic malaria lessons, and asked for many, many photos. Their plan is to perform at other schools and hopefully encourage the creation of MNM clubs there as well.

We paid a visit to an area where a lot of people do not sleep under a net for various reasons. Some people say it’s too hot to sleep under, while others choose to only sleep under it during the rainy season. Some say they just don’t think it’s necessary because they have never slept under a net and have never had malaria before. Some can’t afford a net. Our large group of thirteen split into groups of four or five and paid house visits to families in the neighborhood. We asked if they had nets and some people showed us nets they slept under that had large holes, making them pointless. Some people did have nets and said they sometimes slept under it.

Someone on the trip who has split into a different group from me said they went into one house where four children slept under a net with large holes and one recently caught malaria. I asked a translator from the area if the nets are expensive or if pregnant women can get them free or discounted. She said anyone who presents an ID can get a free net. The translators who often went on house calls had a system of showing and telling what people need to do to prevent malaria and that they and their children are very much at risk.

The people are happy to have the visitors there. They invited us to sit down so we could talk and welcomed us into a bedroom to show us their current net situation. It was hard to meet children or see them playing in the yard while knowing they are at risk because they don’t sleep under a net. One hundred nets were distributed today to the community, but they will need many more. One hundred isn’t nearly enough, and in several years, (or sooner, depending on how often they are washed), the insecticide will wear off and the nets need to be replaced.

As overwhelming as today was, I’m getting excited for tonight. We are going to a Youssou N’Dour concert! He’s a mega-rock star out here, probably the biggest artist in Africa, and he invited us to come tonight. Youssou is a huge humanitarian and has worked with MNM for some time (he’s even on MNM’s board). I’m excited for the concert and am a growing Youssou N’Dour fan.

MARK GREEN, Anna’s dad and managing director of the Malaria No More Policy Center

Our VIPs (Scott and Kelley Wolf, Michael Gerson) arrived safe and sound in Dakar very early yesterday morning. They seemed no worse for wear from the overnight flight –- though they seemed to be slowing down by nightfall. Who could blame them?

Some notes from the past few days:

ANNA GREEN, 17, high school student

As I packed for my week with the Malaria No More (MNM) team on our trip to Senegal, I couldn’t have been more excited. My past experiences in Africa have inspired me and made me grow as a person. Early in my high school career, I lived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, when my dad was serving as the US Ambassador there from 2007 to 08. During that time, I saw so much poverty and disease with the good people of Tanzania that it developed a sense of obligation within me. That’s part of why I’m on this trip. I want to make a change.

We arrived in Dakar early this morning after an overnight flight with such strong turbulence that even those of us who had taken sleeping aids hardly slept a wink. We landed before sunrise here, which with the time difference, was 1 a.m. our time. When we got to our (beautiful, on the beach, extremely scenic) hotel, I drank three cups of coffee to keep myself moving.

We began our busy day with a meeting to discuss the trip’s itinerary. The itinerary outlined long, hard working days that a high school student like me isn’t used to, but I was excited to help on each day’s excursions and do my part of the work. Today, we went to a school in Dakar, and despite the language barrier between me and the children at the school, we understood each other using hand gestures. While the team had a meeting with the principal, I chose to stay outside with the kids. When I asked if I could take their picture, they were ecstatic as they hustled to be in the center of the shot and even more excited to see what it looked like on the camera’s screen.

All our driving around in Dakar is showing me that I’ve never been anywhere like here. There are tall, very modern skyscrapers next to piles of rocks and dirt. It’s so different from Dar es Salaam; the roads are actually paved and painted and people try to follow normal driving standards — like staying on the right side of the road and driving in a straight line. However, it’s still chaotic. I’ve also never been to a country where French is the official language. I didn’t even know Wolof was a language before the trip, but here Wolof is the most common language spoken by the masses.
I really enjoyed the visit to the school and look forward to tomorrow. Each day here is like an adventure. I’m learning so much and I would’ve liked to stay longer, but I’m missing a week of school to be here now.

MARK GREEN, Anna’s dad and managing director of the Malaria No More Policy Center

You know you’re in Africa the moment you leave the plane. It’s the smell of small cooking fires and the mists that rise from the hills in the early morning.

Anna and I arrived in Dakar, Senegal just before 6 a.m. We were tired, as she noted, from a turbulence-filled flight overnight. We made up for it, however, with a great breakfast at the Terrou-Bi Hotel. French pastries, hot coffee (Europeans drink from cups that are far too small!) and egg/bacon/sausages.

Day One has been largely about courtesy calls and finalizing the itinerary for our special guests -– TV personalities Scott and Kelley Wolf and conservative columnist Mike Gerson. We’re lucky that Malaria No More has a great team here, led by YacineDiopDjibo and including Julie Manzino and FaraNdiaye. Courtesy calls are always time-consuming and often frustrating (after all, you want to get to WORK and see things!). However, not only is the partnership between MNM and Senegalese officials crucial to the program’s success in ending malaria deaths, but our hosts often have special insights that make building an itinerary much more effective. They KNOW the target sites like no one else.

But our first day hasn’t been all courtesy calls and paperwork: we made a great visit to College Ibrahim Thiam, a secondary school that boasts a vibrant, successful malaria club. The club leaders are anxious to show our coming VIPs some of their artwork and skits. They also have ambitious plans to take their work on the road into other schools and neighborhoods in an effort to mobilize Senegal’s young people around the cause of ending malaria deaths.

Anna had a great chance to wander around the playground and see the students playing sports, and they loved to ham it up for her camera. She also came across a large number of kids engaged in a strange looking traditional game –- Lacankouran -– that apparently comes from another part of Senegal. I don’t know all the rules, but it involved at least one student wearing a brightly colored mask and chasing others around. Whatever the rules…it looked like fun!

On the serious side, Senegal appears to be an emerging malaria success story. The government is investing its resources -– human and financial –- in making sure that it not only receives malaria intervention tools from donor partners (tools like bed nets), but that it truly puts those tools to work. MNM, along with other partners, has been working to create greater public awareness of malaria and to help mobilize the Senegalese people around the understanding that malaria is entirely preventable and treatable. NOBODY should have to die from this terrible disease.

Senegal has been a big winner through its partnerships with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The Global Fund has patiently helped them to identify weaknesses in its malaria fighting programs and find answers to addressing those weaknesses. Senegal views the Global Fund as an irreplaceable partner in conquering malaria deaths.

Much more to come!

Check out the video below. And let us know what you think!

Mayor Steve Tumlin declares Marietta, Georgia a “City of ONE” on April 25, 2010, with ONE members Kristi Wooten and Nancy Bauer. Photo by Kaitlyn Pack ©2010 WidescreenVideoProductions.com

The day started early as over 60 volunteers began streaming in to set up for the day. The afternoon’s events started in the Family Life Center. Paul Howell, internationally recognized mosquito expert for the Malaria Research and Reference Reagent Resource Center (MR4) at the Centers for Disease Control, put together a fascinating look at mosquitoes and the use of bed nets in the developing world. Nets were hung over air mattresses as a “village at night” was created for people to experience. Kids were welcomed into the village and were encouraged to sleep under a bed net – well at least for a little while. The new Bobby Bailey video, “When the Night Comes,” played as a background loop for people to view as they experienced the night in our village. Paul also had several containers of mosquitoes he used to show people how the mosquitoes reacted to the chemicals on the bed nets.

The children’s area featured a rock climbing wall, hula hoops and the opportunity to learn more about malaria and its devastating effects through the use of word searches, maps and other fun games. Former Atlanta Hawks and Georgia Tech basketball standout, Ivano “Newby” Newbill, led everyone in a basketball contest and a free throw contest. We had some pretty good shooters on the court! Star, the mascot for the Atlanta Dream (Atlanta’s professional women’s basketball team) was on the court helping Newby with all those great shooters.

At 4:30, we moved the activities to the Sanctuary where music newcomer Scott England opened the musical portion of the event. Scott performed an awesome, inspiring set for us. By the way, not only is Scott a talented musician, he’s a really great guy! I always feel a little bad for the guy/band who has the challenge of opening an event. Especially when you’re opening for local heroes Third Day! Third Day took the stage to a standing ovation, and, honestly, people didn’t sit down for their entire set. I had not ever met the members of Third Day, but what great guys – knowledgeable, passionate and just nice men. Their music is inspirational and so is their attitude. They played a fantastic set of four songs for us. But, I think the crowd would have stayed for hours if Third Day could have stayed and played!

Third Day performs with singer Scott England for World Malaria Day in Marietta, Georgia on April 25. Photo by Kaitlyn Pack ©2010 WidescreenVideoProductions.com

After the music, Third Day members stayed, talked with fans and signed autographs. Mac Powell, the lead singer, took the opportunity to spend some time at our mosquito exhibit, learning and asking some really good questions about malaria.

The good news and bottom line: At last count, we successfully raised almost $9,000 including a matching gift from the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. (www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org). That’s at least 900 nets – nets that will save lives! More good news, donations are still coming in!

Special thanks to Marietta First Baptist Pastor Bill Ross, music minister Paul Hill, children’s minister Lauren Waggoner and all the church staff, as well as church members Christina and Paul Howell, Karla Jacobs, Debbie Schulte, and so many others who made this event such a success.

-Nancy Bauer, Georgia ONE Member

This year for World Malaria Day in the Twin Cities we organized a picnic under bed nets. It was a great day to spend in the park while raising awareness about malaria and the impact an individual’s voice can make. Despite the heavy winds practically blowing the bed nets away, we had intimate discussions on the disease and its impact in developing countries.

At our ONE event, we promoted Malaria No More’s TEN campaign to raise awareness that only $10 buys a bed net that can protect a family from malaria. In addition, attendees had the opportunity to see an actual bed net – one of the most effective prevention tools in the fight against malaria. We also partnered with World Vision to provide attendees with postcards to mail to their representatives, in an effort to make them aware that they, as constituents, care about solving the global problem of malaria.

Our members enjoyed learning about malaria and had a great day in the park! I was excited to see people from so many different ages and walks of life participate and show the initiative to help end malaria deaths.

-Reena Dhake, ONE Twin Cities volunteer

Sunday, April 25th is World Malaria Day. I’m a blessed man as I’m spending this World Malaria Day in beautiful Tanzania, standing with leaders in their drive to combat this disease.

For too long, malaria has cast a long shadow over Africa. Over two thousand children die each day because of malaria. That’s one child every 40 seconds. Those that manage to survive the disease often face lifelong disabilities and challenges. In a part of the world where there is no government safety net—no Medicaid or disability—hundreds of thousands of families struggle to find ways to care for the sick and disabled.

Tanzania has long been one of the nations hardest hit by malaria. As I look out on Dar Es Salaam, the capital city, I feel both sadness and pride. The pride is because with help from the American people, African leaders have made real progress against malaria in the past few years. The sadness is because malaria still casts a shadow on people I talk to here every day.

The first World Malaria Report, released in 2005, documented that well over a million people died every year from malaria. That number is now estimated to be less than 900,000. Hundreds of thousands of people have been saved by interventions and treatments supported by organizations like the United States President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and most importantly, African governments and non-governmental organizations.

This progress is not just progress for Tanzania or Africa—but for the US as well. In a time when the world’s economy has struggled, there are few humanitarian investments that can produce the economic results that ending malaria will. Malaria costs Africa $12 billion a year. Families lose work hours, days at school and disposable income through the affects of this disease.

What most Americans don’t realize is that investments like PMI and the Global Fund aren’t just of benefit to the people of Africa, they also benefit us. When I served as Ambassador to Tanzania and held a “townhall” in a tough area for the US, I was asked by an activist why America “abuses its power?”

I answered that question with one of my own. “What is the number one killer of your children?” The answer was malaria. I then asked him, “Who is doing more than the United States to fight malaria?” The murmurs and nodding of heads spoke volumes on how powerful our foreign assistance work can be diplomatically.

The malaria numbers are changing for the better. Every day more people are being saved from this terrible disease. On World Malaria Day this Sunday, I will be proud to be an American. I’m proud of the difference we’re making in the world. As I often told people when I served as Ambassador, the great untold story in conquering malaria and lifting lives in Africa is the generosity of the American people. There are good people all over the United States who are sending some of their hard earned dollars to people they’ve never met, in places they have never been….all because they care.

For the full list, click here.

Applications are due next Friday, January 22.