Nets for the new year!

Hello Nothing But Nets Supporters!

I recently returned from our latest net distribution in Mali – exhausted yet full of pride. All of you should be so proud of yourselves. Every $10 you donated over the last year has been utilized to send nets and save lives. In Mali, 2.2 million children received a net as well as other life saving interventions such as vaccinations for polio and measles.

Malaria and the death it causes is tragic, but this story is about joy and life. While malaria results in at least one million deaths each year in Africa, in Mali over two million children participated in the campaign. We are catching up, thanks to you.

The Ministry of Health in Mali worked so hard on this campaign. They spent the six months leading up to the distribution mobilizing communities and educating mothers and families on the importance of participating in the integrated health days. We were blown away by the lines of women with babies strapped to their backs waiting at sunrise to receive vaccinations and nets that would allow each child to live beyond their fifth birthday.

Sitting in my office in Washington, D.C., I can close my eyes and think about how beautiful the people were. I can hear the songs of the Griot singing to each household, telling them to come to the center of town and bring their children. And you know what? They did bring their children. Even in the most remote villages along the Niger river, they were there, in line for the nets you sent.

During the holiday season we see the world in a different light. It is a time for sharing, giving and joy. You all are my own personal heroes because you have provided that joy to the people of Mali. What could be a better present during this holiday than what you already gave- The gift of a life.

Let’s do it again together in 2008! We have a lot more funds to raise to cover the continent. Send a Net and Save a Life for the New Year!

Thanks from the bottom of my heart,

Elizabeth McKee Gore