Youth for Human Rights Group Sponsors Entire Refugee Camp
by Denise McGahee Monday, Jun. 22, 2009 at 10:20 PM

For World Refugee Day, June 20, Youth for Human Rights of Tampa Bay is sponsoring an entire refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo with bed nets.

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Why bed nets? Every year nearly one million people die of one disease on one continent. The disease is malaria and it is the number one killer of African children. Since shelter is inadequate to keep out mosquitoes, which are the leading cause of this deadly disease, those in refugee camps are most vulnerable. Insecticide-treated bed nets protect potential victims from mosquitoes when the mosquitoes strike most – 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Youth for Human Rights of Tampa Bay is a non-profit group that educates youth about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in schools, community groups and camps. But in addition to educating others about human rights, they decided to put Human Right #25, “Food and Shelter for All” into practice by sponsoring the refugee camp, Bakavu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Via the Nothing But Nets program, they are asking their friends to give $10 for each net, raising enough money to send 109 nets to Bakavu refugee camp to save the lives of 218 refugees.

President of the Youth for Human Rights of Tampa Bay, Dustin McGahee, said, “When people find out they can donate $10 to save a life, it really hits home, and they want to help.”

There are about 35 million refugees worldwide, and 80 percent of them are women and children, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Youth for Human Rights Tampa Bay is working with Nothing But Nets to raise the money for the insecticide-treated nets. Nothing But Nets then works with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to send the bed nets to the refugee camps in Africa.

McGahee says it is simple to help these refugees have the right to food and shelter. Just asks the question, “Would you save a life for $10?”

www.youthforhumanrights.org

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