WWE Divas Alicia Fox and Natalya will visit refugee camps in Rwanda this week as part of their alliance with the United Nations Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign to help raise awareness and funds to fight malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
WWE’s Divas will help distribute life-saving bed nets to help protect refugee families, who are fleeing conflict in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, from malaria. They will also meet with officials from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to learn about the humanitarian situation there.
“Refugees already face unimaginable hardships,” said Chris Helfrich, Director of Nothing But Nets. “A simple bed net can stop mothers and children from worrying about a deadly mosquito bite. We’re proud to show the WWE Divas — and WWE fans everywhere — how malaria prevention tools like bed nets keep families safe. With more than 140 million social media fans, WWE and its Divas have an incredible opportunity to spread the buzz about stopping malaria.”
Nothing But Nets has partnered with UNHCR since 2008, working together to provide vulnerable refugee families fleeing conflict or natural disasters with insecticide-treated mosquito nets that can keep them safe from malaria. The partners have provided more than 1 million bed nets to refugees living in camps across Africa; as a result, malaria dropped from the leading killer of refugees to the number five cause of death.
“WWE is proud to partner with Nothing But Nets to raise awareness and funds to protect families from deadly malaria,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Executive Vice President, Creative. “Through our partnership, WWE will continue to reach out to our passionate fan base to spread the message about preventing this disease. It is our hope that when WWE fans learn that a child dies from malaria every 60 seconds, they will be inspired to send a net and save a life.” WWE aims to send 20,000 bed nets to refugees.
The trip is part of Nothing But Nets’ alliance with WWE, announced at the 2012 Social Good Summit. There, UN Foundation Resident Entrepreneur Elizabeth Gore appeared with McMahon and WWE Divas Layla and Alicia Fox, who urged their fans to support Nothing But Nets online and offline.
Since 2006, Nothing But Nets has raised more than $45 million from hundreds of thousands of grassroots supporters, and sent more than 7 million bed nets to families across Africa. Anyone — from students to CEOs — can help protect families in Africa from malaria. To learn more and to donate, visit www.NothingButNets.net.
