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These achievements are possible because of people like you who champion Rotary's mission
through leadership, service, advocacy, and generosity.

Sincerely,

Holger Knaack

2025-26 Trustee Chair

The Rotary Foundation

On a mission to end malaria in Zambia

By Eve Conway, 2023-25 Rotary International Director

Travelling in a convoy of four-wheel drive safari vehicles along unmade sandy roads, we
went deep into a rural area outside Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Leaving clouds of sand
behind us, we were heading towards Central Province on World Malaria Day to see the
campaign aimed at eradicating this disease in Zambia in action.
After a long two-hour, hot and bumpy ride on potholed, uneven roads - where we were
viewed with wonder by local villagers and suspiciously by a large elephant who headed
towards us angrily but then thankfully stopped - we were taken to the palace of Chief
Chamuka of the Lenje people in Chisamba District, Central Province.

He is a key supporter of the malaria eradication campaign and chair of the Central Province
End Malaria Council. As the chief entered, we kneeled and clapped and addressed him as
"His Royal Highness."

After that, it was time to be taken to where the World Malaria Day celebrations on 25 April
were taking place, covered by Zambian TV News. The theme of the day's activities was
"Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must." The day included a community
vote of thanks, updates on the country's malaria progress, regional insights from Chief
Chamuka, district-level programme highlights, and congratulations from and future efforts
shared by 2025-26 Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair and past RI President Holger Knaack.

This is where we met those at the centre of making this campaign a success - the community
health workers. It was a highlight of the day for me and a special Rotary moment to be able
to talk with them and thank them for their work.

The Programs of Scale grant, announced in February 2021, provided $2 million from Rotary
International to Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia, a member-led program focused on
fighting malaria. World Vision U.S. and the Gates Foundation are also involved in malaria
mitigation efforts and each contributed $2 million to the programme. This $6 million
program aimed to train and equip 2,500 community health workers in Zambia to support the
government's work to eradicate malaria in that country.
(edited)