Faiths Act

As our fellowship training comes to a close, I am struck by the sheer amount we've got through! Whether it has been hearing about the amazing work of Tony Blair Faith Foundation's African counterparts, a Q&A session with Ray Chambers - the UN's Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria - or experiencing the generous hospitality of the Bahá'í and Buddhist communities, it's been a very inspiring time in London.

Perhaps the most moving experience for me was hearing about Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s work in Sierra Leone - a project which I, along with the other Faiths Act Fellows, will be fundraising for over the coming year.

The opportunity to hear first-hand from those working on the ground in Sierra Leone has emphasised just how much our efforts are needed. Sierra Leone has one of the world's worst health statistics in the world, with one in six children dying before they reach the age of six-malaria being one of the biggest killers.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation works with faith leaders in Sierra Leone training them on health issues so that they can pass on this training to their communities, helping to prevent easily preventable deaths from malaria.

Hearing about this work has further inspired me to get started on our goals for the following year of mobilising people of different faiths to get involved in the struggle against malaria. As put by a staff member working in Sierra Leone, “the mosquito is an interfaith insect which affects us all alike”.

Wishing myself and the rest of the Fellows the best of luck in contributing to this worthy cause!

Catherine Mansoor