Horton students aim to “Save 1,000 Lives”

BY KIRK STARRATT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

It’s heartbreaking to hear, but the majority of children born in Africa will never make it to their fifth birthday.

This startling fact has resonated with a group of students at Horton High School in Greenwich, who have initiated a fundraising campaign to purchase mosquito netting to help protect youth in Africa from contracting malaria.

Grade 10 student Violet Robertson of Port Williams said they watched a documentary recently in her Biology class she found very touching. Her teacher suggested that perhaps the students could start a fundraiser in class to help with the problem of malaria in Africa.

The teacher asked for volunteers and the hope was the entire school community could get involved. Robertson said she asked her friend, Grade 10 student Brittany Parker of Greenwich, for help. Other students involved in the initiative include Sabrina Berry, Bronwen Grieve, Hilary Hayes and Brennan Matheson.

Parker said the initiate involves fundraising to buy mosquito netting to help protect people in Africa from contracting malaria from bites incurred while they sleep. Robertson said people couldn’t defend themselves against bites from infectious insects while asleep.

Hope to raise $1,000

Parker said they are carrying out the fundraiser in conjunction with the Canadian Red Cross. They plan to send the money they raise to the Red Cross. In turn, Red Cross volunteers will ship the material to Africa and help explain the purpose to people and how to set up the nets.

Robertson said each mosquito net package costs $7 through the Red Cross program. The students hope to raise $1,000 through the school community and $6,000 from the greater community so they can purchase 1,000 netting packages through the Red Cross and help save 1,000 lives. The nets last typically for four to five years.

She said there was a moment in the documentary when a mother was observing her child, who was displaying symptoms of malaria. The woman said she was too impoverished to help her child, so there was little she could do to prevent the child from dying.

“Parents (in Africa) have no choice to accept that their children will die because they can’t pay,” Robertson said.

Parker said it was made clear to her that she’s in a position to help. She has free time to contribute and she thinks it’s a great cause. Considering the low cost of a piece of mosquito netting, the benefits are immeasurable.

“I just really wanted to help people,” she said. “I guess I felt a great sympathy for the parents and kids.”

Robertson said she has a teacher whose father has malaria. The disease is dormant now, but she points out there is no cure.

The students began the project about three weeks before Christmas and Robertson said they hope to get out into the greater community this month in search of sponsorships and to place donation cans in local businesses.