We’ve all been in this situation. Either we as children or our children leave a large portion of uneaten food on their plates. Then we are some other parental figure tells them “children are dying in Africa”. At some point, the child begins to question whether they could send their food to Africa and wonders why the parent brings up something that truly isn’t feasible.
It’s true. Children are starving in Africa. It’s true. We can’t logistically send them all the food we waste. It’s also true that children are dying in Africa. One child dies in Africa every 45 seconds from Malaria. And, it’s true. For $10, we could save at least one child.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne illness that does not need to be such an epidemic. It was eradicated in the United States in 1951. But in Africa, they don’t have the resources to prevent the mosquito bites from disease-carrying mosquitoes. When we get a bite, we pull out the After Bite or Benadryl or Calamine. We’ve seen the pictures of children in Africa with bugs swarming around them. They don’t have a treatment for the minor itch or swelling. And, often that itch and swelling ends up being a precursor to Malaria.