Nothing But Nets

Local mom travels to Uganda to deliver anti-malaria bed nets to children and families

Mother and daughter have raised over $115,000 for the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign

Philadelphia-area native Lynda Commale will travel to refugee camps in Uganda with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets—a global, grassroots campaign to prevent malaria in Africa from October 23-30, 2009 to help distribute anti-malaria nets. Lynda will join two other supporters and Nothing But Nets Director Adrianna Logalbo on the UN Foundation-led trip to Uganda to meet with refugees and representatives from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and learn more about the malaria burden. 

Over the past three years, Lynda Commale and her family have raised over $115,000 for bed nets through the Nothing But Nets campaign. Lynda and her daughter, eight-year-old Katherine, educate their community by sharing fun, interactive visuals such as bookmarks made out of netting and a diorama including a Barbie doll, a toy mosquito, and a bed net. 

“As soon as I learned about how many people are affected by this deadly, but preventable, disease I knew I had to be involved in the solution,” said Commale. “Every 30 seconds a child in Africa dies from a malaria infection; as a mother, I couldn’t bear to let that continue.”

Over the past three years, Lynda and her family have represented Nothing But Nets at the Clinton Global Initiative, and promoted sending nets and saving lives throughout the country in media outlets ranging from the Philadelphia Inquirer to CNN. Most recently, Katherine received the Dragonfly Award, on World Malaria Day in Washington, D.C., in recognition of her achievements.

“Lynda and her family are enthusiastic and passionate champions for preventing malaria and continue to raise funds to send bed nets to those who need them,” said Adrianna Logalbo. “I’m eager for Lynda to meet with mothers and their young children in Uganda to see firsthand how her hard work is making a life-saving difference.” 

Along with the bed nets, Lynda will help distribute thousands of messages of hope, including her own, to displaced families in the camps. These messages of hope have been collected from supporters across the U.S. and offer personal words of encouragement to the families receiving the bed nets.

Malaria infects more than 500 million people around the world each year, killing more than 1 million. The disease is a leading killer of children and refugees in Africa, where 90 percent of malaria deaths occur. Bed nets prevent malaria transmission by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of transmissions occur.

This year, Nothing But Nets has teamed up with UNHCR to protect more than one million refugees in 15 African countries from malaria. The campaign has passed the halfway mark, and can achieve its goal if 200,000 people donate $10 by December 31, 2009. Nothing But Nets is encouraging all of its supporters to give the gift of life to a refugee in Africa this holiday season.  For only $10, anyone can send a net and save a life.

About Nothing But Nets:
Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by sports columnist Rick Reilly, more than 100,000 people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in 2006. Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, the people of The United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. It costs just $10 to provide a long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed net to prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.

Media Contact:          
Amy DiElsi, Communications Director for Children’s Health
202-419-3230; adielsi@unfoundation.org