By Ashley Schoettle

Africa provides the perfect conditions for malaria: high temperatures, plenty of breeding sites and a species of mosquito that prefers humans to cattle. Each year malaria and related maladies kill 700,000 African children. This is a preventable tragedy: The tools and knowledge to stop the spread of this deadly disease exist, but adequate funding and communications are not appropriately employed.

Bed nets treated with safe, long-lasting insecticide are the most practicable way to prevent and control malaria. Their use has been proven to reduce child mortality by about 20 percent. However, the $6 nets are prohibitively expensive in an area of the world where more than half the population earns less than $1 a day.

I have started a program called “Nets of Love” to raise money to buy malaria-preventing bed nets for pregnant women and young children in Africa. The nets will be distributed to pregnant women through prenatal clinics by the organization Together Against Malaria (www.tamtamafrica.org). I am collecting donations of $2 to $6 from students. I am also seeking student leaders from local high schools to lead “Nets of Love” campaigns in their schools. TAMTAM will receive 100 percent of the donations.

Students who wish to volunteer for Nets of Love can contact Ashley Schoettle at 948-5068. Donations should be sent to her at 876 Carmel Ave., Los Altos, CA 94022. Checks should be made out to Together Against Malaria.