Kingsley Holgate revs up malaria fight in rural Africa

Wednesday 25 April marked World Malaria Day. Supernews spoke to Kingsley Holgate also known as the “Greybeard of African Adventure”, about his efforts to prevent malaria deaths in Africa with the help of Unite Against Malaria (UAM), Cape Union Mart and Relate.

Malaria deaths have decreased by 38% in the last decade but sadly, one child still dies per minute due to malaria. Holgate has been hands on, so to speak, in the field of malaria prevention for nearly 20 years, traveling to remote areas to distribute ‘mozzie’ nets and teach communities how to effectively use and look after them. It is a cause that is very personal to him since he himself, has had malaria 50 times.

Relate, a non-profit organisation, has created a cause bracelet for UAM. Priced at R30, the purchase of one of these bracelets can protect a young child against malaria for five years.  These bracelets are available at Cape Union Mart, who also funds Holgate’s expeditions into Africa. Together with UAM, an alliance of individuals, organizations, governments and corporations who have united together against malaria, Holgate and his team now have even more resources available to them.

The ultimate goal is to reduce malaria deaths to near zero by 2015.

Other matters on the expedition agenda includes distributing spectacles to poor-sighted people in remote areas, as well as water filters in areas where contaminated water is a serious problem.

To date, Relate’s United Against Malaria supporter bracelets have

• Raised close to $500 000
• Purchased approximately 30 000 nets, which means 60 000 to 90 000 children now sleep safely at night
• Created a sustainable earning mechanism for approximately 250 people, who are often supporting up to five others
• Connected over 500 000 people around the world to each other around a common cause

Image 1: Relate bracelets for sale at Cape Union Mart.

Image 2: Holgate telling stories around camp fire.

Image 3: Holgate with his book: Afrika, Dispatches from the outside edge.

Image 4: Rural community receiving mosquito nets.

Relate: http://relate.org.za/
UAM: www.unitedagainstmalaria.org/
Kingsley Holgate: http://www.kingsleyholgate.net/