Before any of us can share our gifts and talents with others, we need to be as fit and healthy as we can be. Healthy people are able to contribute their ideas, their labors, and their participation in their communities to enrich us all.
In many parts of the world, basic health is still not a given. In sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, one child dies every minute of malaria. Think about that: one child dies every minute on the continent of Africa from a disease that is largely preventable. If one child were dying every minute from malaria on the continent of North America, we likely would want to do something – and quickly.
Yet we did “do something” here in the United States. People once suffered from malaria here, too. In fact, in the classic book “Little House on the Prairie,” Laura Ingalls Wilder chronicles her own family’s near-death experience after being bitten by mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite and then saved by the unexpected arrival of an African-American doctor on their doorstep the Kansas prairie. What happened? We sprayed DDT all over the southern United States, we became prosperous enough and technologically advanced enough to afford window screens and air-conditioned buildings that keep the bugs out.
Those now at risk for malaria are among those we seek and serve in Christ. By helping others become healthy, by helping children live to adulthood, we increase the resources of the world as a whole, inviting others to share their gifts and talents with the rest of us. By affording others the chance for healthy bodies, we stop the spread of disease and strengthen communities, countries, continents, and ultimately the entire world.
For a new curriculum to introduce children to malaria prevention in sub-Saharan Africa, go to www.inspirationfund.org and click on NEW! Children’s Curriculum with Rita Mosquito. Free, downloadable materials are available, including a lesson plan, a storybook, and resources for parents and teachers.
Cindy Coe 