Did you know malaria is one of the top reasons why children in Africa do not reach their 5th birthdays? This Earth Day, Peace Corps Volunteers across the continent are Stomping Out Malaria as part of a worldwide campaign.
Interventions include connecting communities to local health centers where they can get mosquito nets, showing families how to properly use mosquito nets, making mosquito repellant lotion out of the neem tree and pouring a little cooking oil in a puddle of standing water.
In Holeta, my colleague and I made an “eco-pledge tree” and set it up outside of the research center’s cafeteria for the week leading up to Earth Day. Researchers were encouraged to write their promise to the environment on a leaf-shaped piece of paper and hang it on the tree for everyone to see—and be inspired. The eco-pledge tree was a great conversation-starter, and the researchers’ pledges were creative and thoughtful, including conserving water at home, planting trees, picking up garbage and using hydropower. Did you know more than 90 percent of Ethiopia’s electricity comes from hydropower?
If you want to do something good for the environment at home, please consider donating to my friend Dan Hendrick’s “Jamaica Bay Lives” project. “Jamaica Bay Lives” will be the first-ever documentary about the Jamaica Bay in Queens, New York City. The Jamaica Bay has a rich history wrought with struggles over natural resources and community self-determination.
To donate, please click here. Dan Hendrick is the Communications Director at the New York League of Conservation Voters.
Lady, you know Ricardo works at the League of Conservation Voters, too!
I do! I’m going to visit him soon!
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