With M&Ms and faith, students are aiming to save lives in Africa.
Lutheran Campus Ministries is doing its part to raise awareness and money for victims of malaria.
“Every 60 seconds a child dies in Africa due to the fact of malaria,” said Steven Minderman, an anthropology sophomore. “It’s the most preventable disease out there, and all we need to do is get the money out there to them.”
Throughout the month of February, Lutheran Campus Ministries is tabling in the CMU, spreading the word to students and handing out tubes of M&Ms.
They said they hope students will bring the tubes back filled with change.
The students’ goal is to raise $1,887; so far, they’ve raised $300.
“We’re going through a lot of M&Ms, which even if half of the M&M tubes come back with change in them, that’s good,” said Olivia Bain, an art education junior.
The money raised will be added to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s larger malaria project. The goal is to raise $15 million by 2015 to help fund vaccines and mosquito nets for beds. In 2012, they raised $4 million, which is now impacting communities in 11 countries.
“Churches all across the country are (collecting donations) right now,” Minderman said. “They’ve been doing it for almost a year now. We just brought it to MSUM.”
Bain added, “We are just trying to do our part and raise as much money as we can. Just $6 can save a life.”
Bain said helping raise money and awareness of malaria not only helps others but also makes her feel good about herself.
“When I heard this project, it kind of struck my heart a little bit,” he said. “We have a lot of students from Africa, and it’d be nice to show them that we actually do care.”
Some students from Africa Club, as well as Tae Kwon Do club and Kappa Sigma, have also given their time to help with the campaign.
Lutheran Campus Ministries plans to hold an event to raise more money at the end of the month.
For more information about how to donate to the cause, contact Olivia Bain at bainol@mnstate or visit their table in the CMU Mondays and Thursdays through the end of February.
BY JASMINE MAKI
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