Photo by: Laura Hathaway

Last Wednesday, students came together along with the United Nations Foundation and the Graduate School of International Studies to discuss ways in which they can help save lives in Africa at the Nothing But Nets Malaria Workshop.

At the workshop they learned communication and advocacy skills to help assist those in need.

“The Denver community is kind of getting behind this and will hopefully grow because your generation will make the impact,” said Mark Randall, former Denver Nuggets player and now a Nuggets community ambassador, about the role of the DU community.

Nothing But Nets is a global grassroots campaign whose goal to prevent malaria by distributing $10 mosquito nets to African communities that cannot afford them otherwise.

Mosquitoes are more likely to bite at night, so a mosquito net hangs over the beds to prevent mosquitoes from attacking. Insecticide treated bed nets are proven to reduce mortality by 20 percent. Malaria is a disease carried by anopheles mosquitoes that infects 500 million people per year, most of them being children.

It is a major disease that is not only affecting families and children, but also entire communities and economies throughout Africa.

On March 26 Gov. Bill Ritter proclaimed it a “Nothing But Nets Day” as he, the Colorado Rapids and the Denver Nuggets all stood up for the campaign at the State Capitol. Ritter’s family members were directly affected by the devastation of malaria when they served as missionaries in rural villages in Africa.

The Denver Nuggets last regular season game on April 16 at the Pepsi Center will be a “Nothing But Nets Night.”

Just a year and half after Nothing But Nets was founded, by Sports Illustrated Columnist Rick Reilly, $18 million has been collected for the campaign.

However, that is only a sliver of the $3 billion needed to distribute nets to everyone in need. Reilly said he has devoted his life to the wrong kind of nets; mosquito nets are now his number one priority, not soccer nets or basketball nets.

To learn more on how to help save lives visit www.NothingButNets.net.