It’s Giving Tuesday! And you know what that means? It’s time again for my annual fundraiser for the Against Malaria Foundation. The reason I continue to partner with this charitable NGO is simple: need and effectiveness.
The Need
Let’s talk about the need first.
Believe it or not, the mosquito is far and away the most deadly creature on earth: mosquitos kill in excess of 700,000 people per year and inflict debilitating illness on countless others. (See this comparison video for the deadliest creatures.) According to the World Health Organization, the bulk of those deaths come from malaria:
- In 2019, there were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria worldwide.
- The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 409 000 in 2019.
- Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria; in 2019, they accounted for 67% (274 000) of all malaria deaths worldwide. (source)
Such statistics numb the imagination. But human compassion begs us to try for a moment to imagine the incredible grief of families and friends who lose over 400,000 loved ones, and close to 300,000 children every year. Imagine the suffering of more than two hundred million others who will suffer for days or weeks in recovery. And think, last of all, of the staggering economic impact this has on many of the most vulnerable economies on earth.
One Amazing Answer
One big of incredibly good news this year is the approval of a new vaccine against malaria. But even as that remains a very exciting new avenue in the battle against malaria, another enormously practical, simple, economic, and effective solution is found in mosquito netting. Most of the mosquito-borne infections originate in bites overnight and a simple netting over the bed can prevent that. For close to twenty years now the Against Malaria Foundation founded by Rob Mather has raised over $300,000,000 for nets and saved countless millions in the process. What is more, because of their extraordinarily low overhead and funding structure, one hundred percent of your donations go to mosquito netting. You may have more questions about this noble NGO and for that, I have a video below in which I had the privilege of interviewing Rob Mather. See it below.
What You Can Do!
This year, I’m continuing the friendly fundraising competition I launched last year. The competition invites Christians and skeptics (and everyone else) who is in Canada and who want to participate to team up together against all the Christians and skeptics (and everyone else) who is in the United States to see who can raise the most. And please note that your contribution is fully tax-deductible. Not only do you get to participate in a truly noble cause, but we can all be reminded that despite our differences (Christians, skeptics, and everyone else) we can join hands and work together for a noble purpose. This brings to life one of my aspirations that I describe at the end of my book Is the Atheist My Neighbor?
The official contest runs until Christmas Eve: American Christians & Skeptics vs. Canadian Christians & Skeptics fighting malaria. Who is more generous? You decide!
And since I believe in putting my money where my mouth is, I will kick things off by donating $500 to the Canadian fund. So come on friends, join the contest and change the world!
One more thing: I am using the same link/site that I used for last year’s fundraiser so you can view us as simply building on the generosity of the past for a better future.
To donate, click here: https://www.AgainstMalaria.com/AmericansVsCanadians
Here is my interview with CEO Rob Mather:
