This month, we’ve been focusing a lot of our efforts on the Global Fund and their great work in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

So, what better way to jump into these issues than getting in on a live chat with malaria experts, social activist Derrick Ashong and –- wait for it -– singer and actress Mandy Moore?

Today Nothing But Nets and PSI will be hosting an interactive town hall discussion on their Facebook page at 2 p.m. ET. You’ll have the opportunity to directly participate in the conversation, listen to stories from the ground and most importantly, learn why the Central African Republic urgently needs life-saving bed nets.

RSVP for the event on Nothing But Nets’ Facebook page. We know it’s during office hours, but let’s be honest — you’ll be on Facebook, anyway. So, join this important discussion and show Miss Mandy (who by the way, is a PSI ambassador!) that you’re committed to ending preventable diseases like malaria for good.

Photo courtesy of ©Jenn Warren/PSI Sudan, 2009

On Monday, Ruth was named the female 2010 recipient of the 17th Annual Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Award, an honor that recognizes positive role models who not only excel in their sport, but also show by their actions a desire to help others. What better way is there to describe Ruth? We have seen Ruth’s compassion firsthand as she has gone above and beyond to help those affected by malaria, from traveling to Mali to witness the impact of this disease to raising awareness in the U.S. and using her voice on Capitol Hill. As the WNBA star said after receiving her award on Monday, “You can live your life in a way that can touch others even beyond your years here.”

Ruth has touched countless lives in the global fight against malaria and we are proud to have her on our Nothing But Nets™ team. Congratulations to Ruth on this well-deserved accomplishment!

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

Here’s a special video blog made just for our members by Elizabeth Gore the executive director of global partnerships and Nothing But Nets for the United Nations Foundation. She recorded this shortly after reaching the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro with the Summit on the Summit team. The climb was done to help raise awareness about the global clean water crisis. Here’s a post she wrote about the trek and its important mission last week.

The first is from Nothing But Nets and documents the distribution of malaria nets in Tetugu, a camp managed by the UN Refugee Agency, and a neighboring village. Lynda Commale, who authored the piece, concludes:

My hope is that after this observation trip, we can better understand the need for nets in the communities we visited. I cannot say this clearly enough — mosquito nets, treated with insecticide, are the best prevention against malaria.

The International Rescue Committee’s blog offers another account from Uganda on the work of the IRC to help hundreds of children and former child laborers go to school for the first time.

Joanne Offer writes about their work:

Today, Lakot attends primary school in Kitgum, thanks to a unique program run by the IRC called LEAP— Livelihoods, Education and Protection to End Child Labor. Across north and northeast Uganda, the IRC is paying the school fees of children and former child laborers, repairing school buildings, installing latrines, constructing new houses for teachers, and training teachers to become better instructors.

“Since the IRC started helping us, school enrollment has gone up,” said Nadutuka Daniela, the head teacher at the Loodoi Primary school in the district of Moroto. “The IRC is paying fees and has given materials—books and uniforms—that parents can’t afford. People are so happy about it.”

Each piece is definitely worth a read.

Here’s a short interview with America Ferrera on this morning’s Good Morning America discussing the season premiere and Nothing But Nets. You can learn more about the episodehere.

Officially becoming the first comedy to be shot in the UN’s New York City headquarters, the episode will reportedly feature the UN’s “Nothing But Nets” initiative in a plot that touches on the importance of mosquito nets in fighting malaria.

You can check out a promotional video about Nothing But Nets starring cast member Daniel Eric Gold here.

UPDATE: Nothing But Nets just posted more details about the episode here.

“Donating $10 to buy a mosquito net to save an African child from malaria has become a hip way to show you care, especially for teenagers. The movement is like a modern version of the March of Dimes, created in 1938 to defeat polio, or like collecting pennies for Unicef on Halloween….

Part of what has helped the campaign catch on is its sheer simplicity and affordability — $10 buys one net to save a child. Nothing But Nets, the best-known campaign, has raised $20 million from 70,000 individuals, most of it in donations averaging $60.

That is a small fraction of the overall need, which experts estimate at $2.5 billion. But it gives the effort a populist edge, and participation is psychologically rewarding for anyone whose philanthropic pockets are shallower than those of Bill Gates.”

 
-Shannon Raybold, United Nations Foundation