1) Student Leaders in Kericho- Kenya

Theme: We welcome new friendships from the United States

 December 6, 2005 video webcast presentations by Dr. Cindy Korir (MFI’s African Liaison) and a pilot SLAM program started in Kericho, Kenya in 2005. The partnership created between MFI and James Finlay, PLC showed clear benefits for the children of this community.  Several teachers and classes have been engaged in the program’s start-up, with a long-term commitment and strategy for expanding the SLAM program under development.  Please watch the her father Titus Korir, Corporate Affairs Director of James Finley. Ltd., based in Kenya.

The goal of this pilot program was to educate school-aged children about malaria, and encourage them to pass along that information to others around them: parents, neighbors, and other children.  By doing so, these children became leaders in their community and demonstrated the potential for their education to have an impact on basic malaria control measures.  SLAM's goal of educating children about malaria in malaria endemic areas will compete against the high rate of illiteracy found in the adult community. 

Three schools located in the Tea plantations of Kericho, Marinyn High School, Marinyn Primary School and Work Shop Primary School, participated in the pilot SLAM program. James Finlay, PLC provided online access by providing a number of computers in each school, and MFI facilitated interaction with students from a SLAM elective class held at The Galloway School in Atlanta, GA and with students from after-school SLAM clubs in Detroit Michigan.  Children from both schools became pen pals and interchanged information they learned about malaria.  Video clips were also exchanged.  The closeness among the children, so many miles a part was apparent.  A passion, sensitivity and emotions developed, beyond words. 

The next step in this partnership is to solidify the position of a project coordinator to manage the project’s growth, and then engage an expanding number of school communities, involve an increasing number of children, and develop a global sense of belonging, unity and purpose among SLAM participants.

Students participating in the SLAM pilot program -   MFI and James Finlay, PLC Partnership - Kericho, Kenya

Volunteer teachers and representative from James Finlay, PLC in Computer lab. Kericho, Kenya.

2) Student Leaders in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Theme: Change the World

The MFI engaged teacher Lexi Hunter from the Galloway High School in Atlanta to develop the pilot SLAM program. Lexi established an elective class on malaria called SLAM.  Not only were the students very enthusiastic about learning about malaria, but they also wanted to contribute to the fight against malaria.  Lexi and her students communicated with partner students in Kenya and started the "Change the World" campaign, whereby they collected loose change from their community.  Please view the December 5, 2006 video webcast presentation by Lexi Hunter, featuring the student’s “Change the World” project.  The first SLAM class raised $1,000 in a few hours, dressed as mosquitoes!  They carried on creative awareness raising efforts at their school and within the local business community.  The $1,000 raised was used to buy mosquito nets for two African communities, through the MFI’s partnership with Dr. Carlos Franco (an Infectious Disease physician from Emory University) and David Robertson (the Founder of Drive Against Malaria), respectively (see Sudan Project and Angola Project (pdf) reports).  The second elective class proceeded to adopt the MFI’s End Malaria - Blue Ribbon campaign and also make public service announcements and their own SLAM malaria website.

The first SLAM elective class at Galloway High School, led by Lexi Hunter

 "Change the World" Fundraiser

SLAM Student dressed as a mosquito to raise funds at The Galloway School car pool, carrying one of the classes special gift wrapped change collection boxes, which were also welcomed by local businesses.

Second SLAM elective class produces malaria webcasts

1) Informational webcast (requires RealTime Player) showing a few ways that an individual can help in the fight against malaria.

2) Malaria PSA (public service announcement) to raise awareness about malaria.
January 4, 2007

See more about MFI Partnerships and Projects