Fighting against malaria

Click here to watch the online video: FGCU Malaria project

There are superhero students among us at FGCU. They are trying to save about 89,000 people in the village of Kanke, Nigeria, in just six weeks.

The students are in a class called Foundations of Civic Engagement, which educates participants on the importance of community service.

The adjunct professor, Courtney Satkoski, and her class are putting together The Malaria Project. Members of the project hope their efforts will save the lives of people threatened by malaria.

A second group of students from Level II Instructor Neil Wilkinson's Civic Engagement class also has put its hands in the project. Together they are helping raise money to purchase mosquito nets for the town of Kanke.

Students in the class were separated into five groups. They were told to come up with different means of collection charitable donations, all of which will go to the malaria relief.

Satkoski also teaches others about mosquito control and the importance it holds in communities surrounding FGCU. "I teach kids, K-12 grade kids, in the Lee County school system about mosquitoes every single week of the year, and it's always funny when we ask students about diseases. The one they are most concerned about always is dog heartworm," she said. Satkoski notices students are concerned about diseases they know of, but aren't concerned about diseases such as malaria.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are 300 to 500 million cases of malaria that occur worldwide yearly. Around 1 million die from the disease, most of them young African children south of the Sahara. This number works out to be about one child dying from malaria every 30 seconds.

Satkoski says from her experience that we have few cases of malaria in the United States because of mosquito control and surveillance. This project all started when Satkoski saw photos of families in a village of Kanke, Nigeria - a village that needs 38,000 mosquito nets to be protected from the threat of malaria.

The group planned originally to donate only $5,000 to the project, but this goal has been reached and may exceed double of what they were planning.

The goal now for the class is to send $10,000 to The Malaria Project. The money is going toward buying 4,000 DuraNet bed nets for Nigeria, which is added to efforts of their partners, The Carter Center and Clarke Mosquito Control. The Carter Center has been a big help to the students, making a commitment to double the funds that have been raised by the FGCU project.

The Carter Center "is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. (They create) a world in which every man, woman and child has the opportunity to enjoy good health and live in peace."

The total nets donated for the project will be the 38,000 the village of Kanke so desperately needs. There are enough nets to protect the families for five years. The nets themselves only cost $2.50 each. Satkoski feels this is a sobering detail. "One net is two dollars and fifty cents, so you can get a latte or save a family," she said. As for the students, they have enjoyed much success in the projects they are doing to help the cause.

"(The class) raised funds. We also tried to tell people about the effects of malaria. We were able to reach out to 500 to 1,000 families. Which was also one of our objectives and it was achieved," said Stephen Asante Bakor, a senior majoring in philosophy. Students from the class June 7 sold baked goods and washed cars at the St. Vincent de Paul Church in Fort Myers. The group raised $3,400, which put them very close to the $5,000 goal.

Another group sought out local businesses to donate to the cause, including Tropical Smoothie Café, which donated 20 percent of all June 10 sales to The Malaria Project. The biggest fundraising event was the 5K race June 14 on FGCU's campus. Every runner donated a $15 entry fee, which went to the project. T-shirts and drink holders are still available for donations of $15 and $4, respectively.

Visit www.fgcumalariaproject.com for more information.

MALARIA FACTS

-The disease is not contagious but sometimes fatal -Each year over 300-500 million cases are reported -More than 1 million people die in developing countries -Every 30 seconds a child dies of Malaria in Africa -Over 1,300 cases are reported in the United States each year -The disease is not contagious but sometimes fatal

FORMS OF PREVENTION

-Prevent mosquito bites -Taking antimalarial drugs to kill parasites -Spraying insecticides on your home's walls to kill adult mosquitoes -Sleeping under insecticide treated bed nets -Using insect repellent -Wearing long sleeved clothing if travelling outdoors at night

HELPING THE CAUSE

Contact: Instructor Courtney Satkoski E-mail: csatkoski@fgcu.edu Web site: www.fgcumalariaproject.com