Today was the first day of our Action Summit to End Malaria in Washington, D.C. People have come from across the country to be part of this first-time event, hosted by World Vision.

A life-saving cause

Among the participants, there is a palpable sense of purpose, passion, and true belief that the voices of few can make a difference. It’s encouraging to see people from different walks of life come together to be part of this single life-saving cause.

Linda and Peter learn some tips for effective advocacy. Garrett Hubbard for Genesis Photos

Linda Wajda and her 14-year-old son, Peter, traveled from Florida, N.Y., to attend. Linda, a World Vision child ambassador, says the malaria issue personally impacts her as a mother. “When you see that 85 percent of the deaths are [children under age 5], that gives you a very personal face. As a mother, I can particularly relate,” she explains.

“I was excited as a mom to bring my son,” she continues. “The chance to guide him and show him where his faith intersects with the world is a wonderful thing. I want him to be a grateful and connected person and use the great gifts God has given him to bless other people.”

Preparation and learning

The purpose of the summit is to bring concerned citizens together to press Congress to keep its commitment to fight this leading killer of children. Today, we prepared for our congressional meetings that will take place tomorrow, where we will make our case.

Participants got to know one another and had the opportunity to learn from malaria experts, seasoned advocates, and government officials, all committed to eliminating malaria.  One guest speaker was Admiral Timothy Zeimer, the global malaria coordinator for the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). He reported on how the PMI, in partnership with organizations like World Vision, are achieving encouraging results in the fight against malaria.

Attendees also received advocacy training from World Vision staff members and had the opportunity to practice with their groups to prepare for tomorrow’s meetings.

Mara shares about her experience with advocacy. Garrett Hubbard for Genesis Photos

Mara Siebert, a student at McDaniel College in Fredrick, Md., came with a few friends to learn about malaria and gain experience in advocacy. “It seems so wrong that something so easily eradicated is still allowed to go on,” she says.  “There is something so unjust about that.”

She looks forward to tomorrow’s meetings but admits she is also a bit nervous about it. “I’m excited to figure out how to do it and then actually do it,” she says.

Acting on knowledge in a meaningful way

Another attendee, Sam Rund, is a graduate student at Notre Dame, specifically studying the anophelos mosquito, one that carries malaria. He decided to come to the summit because it was a chance for him to get out of the lab and learn more about the real-life impact of malaria and act on that knowledge in another meaningful way.

“I look forward to seeing if we can shape political discourse in a way that’s helpful,” says Sam, adding that his faith motivates him to speak out. “We are called to help the needy. I can’t think of a much better way to do that.”

To end the afternoon, we heard from Keith Stewart, senior pastor of Springcreek Church who is a passionate advocate for the poor. Keith led a group discussion on advocacy as a Christian response to malaria.

James Pedrick, World Vision’s advocacy advisor, says he feels like this is the beginning of something big. “Many lobby days feel like the end of a journey, but this summit is really just the beginning of a movement,” he says. “Now it will be up to us on the frontline to mobilize our churches, families, friends, campuses, and communities so that by next World Malaria Day, thousands more are advocating to end malaria.”

This evening, we’ll enjoy a Night of Nets concert at a nearby church in Arlington, Va., with a performance by indie folk rock band Melodime.  Advocacy can be fun as well as powerful.

Of course, we won’t be up too late. We’ll need to turn in early so that we wake up well-rested and ready to head to Capitol Hill to meet with our members of Congress and tell them why ending malaria is so critical. We know that the lives of millions of vulnerable children are at stake.