First Lutheran Church has been one of many churches and organizations that have been participating in effort to end malaria in Africa by 2015. World Malaria Week was recognized between April 21st and April 28th and allowed First Lutheran Church to focus the ongoing acts of mercy and rejoice in the progress being made in living out the Gospel and supporting our partners in Africa.
Actions for today and this Week
The organizers and leaders of LMI have asked all participants to do three things during World Malaria Week.
1. Pray for those suffering from the beatable, treatable disease of malaria, those who are fighting the disease in Africa and those who are supporting the efforts from afar. Here is a prayer specifically for the day. World Malaria Day Prayer
2. Prayerfully consider a gift to the Lutheran Malaria Initiative. Give here.
3. Look for ways to be involved at any level in the Lutheran Malaria Initiative. Here are more resources and opportunities.
More Information
More information can be found on the LCMS LMI website and the Lutheran World Relief website.
Update
Dionne Lovstad-Jones of the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, who visited us last year, was kind enough to provide this update for First Lutheran Church.
Here are some results and progress on LMI work in Africa. We thank God for all of our congregations, members and school children that are passionately raising funds for LMI!
Program Impact in Africa
Tanzania:
- Bed net usage rose from 55% to 87% in program areas
- 100% rise in antenatal visits in program areas
- Through our partner the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania LMI programming has covered 60% of Tanzania.
Mali:
- 386 Malaria Insurance Funds were established to counter financial barriers related to health care access.
- Net ownership of surveyed households in project area rose from 66% in 2009 to 100% in 2013
- $110,862 was raised by local farmers through their livelihood activities to support Malaria Insurance Funds. To date, 722 people have received care through this mechanism
- 520,000 people have received messages of awareness on the fight against malaria
Kenya:
- Bed net distribution of over 8000 nets by U.S. Lutherans and community health care workers in western Kenya.
- Bed net use increased from 45% to 84% in the targeted project region.
- Training of bed net usage with over 160 community health care workers and parish workers.
Uganda:
- Children under the age of 5 sleeping under a bed net in the target area rose from 46% to 69%
- Pregnant mothers sleeping under a bed net in the target area rose from 43% to 64%
- 90% of those in the target area understood the causes of malaria upon completion of the project.
Liberia:
- · LCMS Programming staff have just returned from a promising discovery visit.
- · LMI work would focus on elementary schools and malaria education.
Fundraising accomplishments for LMI to date include:
- · Of the 6181 LCMS congregations, 1560 have forwarded donations to LMI
- · Congregational gifts to LWR = $529,790.61
- · Congregational gifts to LCMS=$2,095,231.70
- · Total Congregational gifts=$2,625,022.31
- · 34 major donors
- · $964,832 received in gifts
- · An additional 34 documented pledges totaling $1,241,500, of which $589,740 has been received.
And The New England District has the highest level of congregational participation among all the district at 53% of all congregations engaged in LMI! You have led the way!
