Where’s The Net?
Date published: 29 May 2012
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Usman Nawaz & Charlotte Dando with the net
A mosquito net currently on a worldwide tour is about to visit Rochdale as part of the Where’s The Net? malaria awareness campaign run by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. From 30 May – 1 June, the mosquito net will travel between Rochdale, Huddersfield, Bradford, Blackburn and Blackpool as part of a worldwide relay tour connecting people of different faiths in an international multifaith initiative to help end malaria, a disease which kills a child every minute.
This international campaign launched in February and has now reached over 15 countries including Nigeria, Nepal and the Philippines. The mosquito net currently in the UK has already covered thousands of miles and been hung by cultural landmarks including the White House, Niagara Falls, the Golden Gate Bridge and London’s Big Ben.
The Northern leg of the Where’s the Net? tour is being run by young interfaith leaders Usman Nawaz and Charlotte Dando who are taking it to different communities including Huddersfield’s Hindu Temple, Al-Karam school near Retford, Blackburn Cathedral and Challenge College, Bradford. Usman, a 22 year old Muslim from Rochdale and Charlotte, a 27 year old Quaker from London who grew up in Huddersfield, are two of 34 Faiths Act Fellows leading multifaith action in the UK, USA, Canada, India and Sierra Leone. They are working with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and Malaria No More UK as part of a year-long Fellowship to unite people of different faiths in projects tackling global issues such as malaria.
Faiths Act Fellow Charlotte Dando says: “Just as the Olympic torch is journeying around the country uniting communities, we hope that our travelling mosquito net can bring together people of all faiths and none as it continues on its global relay. We’re looking forward to meeting lots of new people as we journey through Northern England, engaging them in this exciting campaign to help end malaria.”
The tour will be launched at St. Philip’s Church, Leicester on Wednesday 30 May in partnership with the Leicester Interfaith Youth Hub. On the same day it will travel to Jamia al Karam, a Muslim boarding school in Retford and then onto a Hindu Temple and the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Huddersfield. On Thursday 31 May the net will visit Haworth, Blackburn Cathedral, the Blackpool Reform Jewish Congregation synagogue, the Jamia Chashtia Mosque and neighbouring St. John’s Church in Rochdale. Finally, on Friday 1 June the net will travel to Challenge College in Bradford and will stop-by at the village of Fenny Drayton in Leicestershire, birthplace of George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
The Where’s The Net? relay race began on 16 February in Sierra Leone, a country ravaged by malaria. Sierra Leone has a population of six million people with just 102 qualified medics. In every village however, there are churches and mosques, meaning local faith leaders are uniquely placed to help with the vital role of educating their communities about malaria. The Tony Blair Faith Foundation is working with Christian and Muslim faith communities in Sierra Leone to spread critical malaria prevention messages alongside Sierra Leone’s national malaria programme, and has reached over 100,000 households in under a year.
Founder and Patron Tony Blair says: “Where’s the Net? is aimed at increasing awareness of malaria and its prevention around the world. I encourage you to help the faith communities involved in spreading these key messages. With your efforts and with this message, we can reach faith communities all over the world and save lives.”
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