I've just found out about a wonderful organization called "Be the Cause".
I don't know much about it but I urge y'all to check it out if you want to restore your faith in humanity.
Here is their "About Us" page:
http://www.bethecause.org/about/
One of the projects I found on their website which REALLY excited me was this project to provide bed nets (nets treated with an insectide which kills mosquitos) in Kenya to prevent the spread of Malaria.
Bono has talked about Malaria a lot lately - how 3,000 Africans die every day because of a mosquito bite and for as little as $8.00 a person in Africa can have a bed net which could potentially save their lives!
Anyway, read this article and see if you're not inspired to BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD!
http://www.bethecause.org/wordpress/index.php?p=190
Sharing ideas and inspiration….
Be the Cause, through Heart, Hope and the Power of Love
Posted by Stacey on June 13th 2005
Greetings,
I am writing to let you all know about a very special project that Be the Cause is undertaking.
A collaboration with two other organizations: The Power of Love and HEART. Together we are creating, purchasing and distributing malaria nets made outside of Nairobi and distributed from the Akado Clinic to the community in Mbita, Kenya. I am writing to enlist support and help.
This project is truly amazing, as it combines the resources of these three organizations for a combined effect of providing income to women and their families in addition to providing nets to children to prevent malaria. As you may know, three members of Be the Cause, after visiting South Africa this last December, went on to Mbita, Kenya, where they volunteered with the Akado clinic for several weeks. While there they administered a health survey to members of the community. At the end of their time there they concluded that there are not enough malaria nets available for the children of the community. Although the Kenyan government has a program to supply, for free, treated malaria nets to the clinic, the shipments of nets to the clinic are both unpredictable and sporadic. So after their return there was some discussion among some BTCers and it was decided to create a new project to buy and ship malaria nets to the Akado clinic.
Once this was decided the next step was to find a supplier of the nets. Here is where serendipity entered the picture. I believe moments of synchronicity in one’s life, although these moments may seem coincidental to some, ato me they are true moments of grace, gifts from the universe not to be ignored. A month or so ago, at an Amnesty Conference concering womens rights, held at Hope University I met a Professor, Dr. Mutanga. After chatting a bit I learned he runs a foundation in Kenya. We arrived at the topic of malaria shortly and I mentioned Mbita. From there he connected me with a woman named Vickie Winkler from the organization HEART, which runs a project in Kenya called WEEP, WEEP is an acronym for the Women Equality Empowerment Project. The WEEP project currently consists of HIV positive women, who are also widows who have lost their husbands to AIDS and are trying desperately to support their children, most having four to five children at home. They are now employed by WEEP and several times a week work to make malaria bed nets for HEART which provides needed income for themselves and their families. This project is in its initial stages as it was just started earlier this year. So with that solved, now how to get the nets from Nairobi to Mbita and distribute them? For this significant portion of the plan, Alka Subramanian and the Power of Love volunteered their services. Power of Love currently sends funds to the Akado clinic, so they have kindly offered to transport the nets from Nairobi to Mbita, and to coordinate a health clinic day with the women who run the clinic. The nets will be given out to the community on a first come, first serve basis and and the prevention of malaria will be discussed. Malaria is as serious a killer in Africa as AIDS and both are problems that need and deserve the rest of the world’s attention and aid.
The wonderful thing about this project is that it has a two fold benefit. It both provides income for widows who have lost their husbands to AIDS and also provides bed nets for children in Mbita to prevent malaria infection.
Funds
Currently an order for 80 nets has been made. These were paid from by funds left over from a collection for Africa made by the South African travelers this last year and I was given another donation from another donor of over $200. Each net costs $8.00 each. These nets will be picked up in the near future and brought to Mbita soon. Although this may seem like a small number I have been told it is not and that it will be very helpful to the community with that in mind what a wonderful thing it would be to provide even more net.
Future of this Project
I find it another wonderful coincidence that the names of the organizations arranged by themselves form such an inspiring message — Be the Cause, through Heart, Hope and the Power of Love.
My hope and my belief is that we can continue this project on a regular basis, buying, transporting and distributing these nets to Mbita. So if anyone would like to make donations or if you have additiona ideas on how to raise more funds please contact me, stacey@bethecause.org or leave a comment and I will get in touch with you.
Malaria Facts
700,000 children die in Africa each year from Malaria. WHO (World Health Organization) has said for years the incidence of death could be greatly reduced if children under 5 slept under treated bed nets.
Malaria season is in full swing by June.
“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
– Native American Saying
I don't know much about it but I urge y'all to check it out if you want to restore your faith in humanity.
Here is their "About Us" page:
http://www.bethecause.org/about/
One of the projects I found on their website which REALLY excited me was this project to provide bed nets (nets treated with an insectide which kills mosquitos) in Kenya to prevent the spread of Malaria.
Bono has talked about Malaria a lot lately - how 3,000 Africans die every day because of a mosquito bite and for as little as $8.00 a person in Africa can have a bed net which could potentially save their lives!
Anyway, read this article and see if you're not inspired to BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD!
http://www.bethecause.org/wordpress/index.php?p=190
Sharing ideas and inspiration….
Be the Cause, through Heart, Hope and the Power of Love
Posted by Stacey on June 13th 2005
Greetings,
I am writing to let you all know about a very special project that Be the Cause is undertaking.
A collaboration with two other organizations: The Power of Love and HEART. Together we are creating, purchasing and distributing malaria nets made outside of Nairobi and distributed from the Akado Clinic to the community in Mbita, Kenya. I am writing to enlist support and help.
This project is truly amazing, as it combines the resources of these three organizations for a combined effect of providing income to women and their families in addition to providing nets to children to prevent malaria. As you may know, three members of Be the Cause, after visiting South Africa this last December, went on to Mbita, Kenya, where they volunteered with the Akado clinic for several weeks. While there they administered a health survey to members of the community. At the end of their time there they concluded that there are not enough malaria nets available for the children of the community. Although the Kenyan government has a program to supply, for free, treated malaria nets to the clinic, the shipments of nets to the clinic are both unpredictable and sporadic. So after their return there was some discussion among some BTCers and it was decided to create a new project to buy and ship malaria nets to the Akado clinic.
Once this was decided the next step was to find a supplier of the nets. Here is where serendipity entered the picture. I believe moments of synchronicity in one’s life, although these moments may seem coincidental to some, ato me they are true moments of grace, gifts from the universe not to be ignored. A month or so ago, at an Amnesty Conference concering womens rights, held at Hope University I met a Professor, Dr. Mutanga. After chatting a bit I learned he runs a foundation in Kenya. We arrived at the topic of malaria shortly and I mentioned Mbita. From there he connected me with a woman named Vickie Winkler from the organization HEART, which runs a project in Kenya called WEEP, WEEP is an acronym for the Women Equality Empowerment Project. The WEEP project currently consists of HIV positive women, who are also widows who have lost their husbands to AIDS and are trying desperately to support their children, most having four to five children at home. They are now employed by WEEP and several times a week work to make malaria bed nets for HEART which provides needed income for themselves and their families. This project is in its initial stages as it was just started earlier this year. So with that solved, now how to get the nets from Nairobi to Mbita and distribute them? For this significant portion of the plan, Alka Subramanian and the Power of Love volunteered their services. Power of Love currently sends funds to the Akado clinic, so they have kindly offered to transport the nets from Nairobi to Mbita, and to coordinate a health clinic day with the women who run the clinic. The nets will be given out to the community on a first come, first serve basis and and the prevention of malaria will be discussed. Malaria is as serious a killer in Africa as AIDS and both are problems that need and deserve the rest of the world’s attention and aid.
The wonderful thing about this project is that it has a two fold benefit. It both provides income for widows who have lost their husbands to AIDS and also provides bed nets for children in Mbita to prevent malaria infection.
Funds
Currently an order for 80 nets has been made. These were paid from by funds left over from a collection for Africa made by the South African travelers this last year and I was given another donation from another donor of over $200. Each net costs $8.00 each. These nets will be picked up in the near future and brought to Mbita soon. Although this may seem like a small number I have been told it is not and that it will be very helpful to the community with that in mind what a wonderful thing it would be to provide even more net.
Future of this Project
I find it another wonderful coincidence that the names of the organizations arranged by themselves form such an inspiring message — Be the Cause, through Heart, Hope and the Power of Love.
My hope and my belief is that we can continue this project on a regular basis, buying, transporting and distributing these nets to Mbita. So if anyone would like to make donations or if you have additiona ideas on how to raise more funds please contact me, stacey@bethecause.org or leave a comment and I will get in touch with you.
Malaria Facts
700,000 children die in Africa each year from Malaria. WHO (World Health Organization) has said for years the incidence of death could be greatly reduced if children under 5 slept under treated bed nets.
Malaria season is in full swing by June.
“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
– Native American Saying
. Here's hoping that all works out with their plans and these people get some help 
. 
. 
