Bishops' NetsforLife Inspiration Fund

The Bishops' NetsforLife Inspiration Fund is a youth-led initiative of the Diocese of Virginia that seeks to provide 20,000 mosquito nets to sub-Saharan Africa in 2011.Currently, over 800,000 children under the age of 5 die every year from malaria. That's over one per minute. Our youth want to help change that horrible statistic. Emma Wright is the lead youth representative for the project.

NetsforLife is a partner of Episcopal Relief & Development that provides malaria-preventing nets to those in need, along with monitoring and education. With the support of dioceses such as ours, NetsforLife intends to hang a total of 7 million nets in sub-Saharan Africa over the next three years. Each net costs $12.

The Virginia youth-led initiative will be sponsoring training sessions for youth and youth mentors in northern Virginia, with many more planned across the Diocese of Virginia in the coming year. Participants will return to their parishes with new friendships, a heightened knowledge of malaria and prevention through bed nets, and ideas on how to support the Bishops' Nets for Life Inspiration Fund.

For information, please contact Nina Bacas (571-230-4771). Visit the Inspiration Fund on Facebook.