Tony Blair Faith Foundation

Maryam Duale is 24 years old Muslim. She was born in Somalia and left following the outbreak of the civil war. She and her family lived briefly in Kenya before moving to England. She has moved home around 17 times during her life, which has helped shape her identity as a global citizen. She studied Design and Art Direction at university and worked as a web designer before realising her passion lay in her community work. On Becoming a Global Citizen by Maryam DualeI have relocated 17 times in my life, across two continents, three countries and endless cities.

The Youth Ambassadors with support from HMI implemented a project centered on mobilizing vulnerable communities for malaria prevention through drama and inter-personal communication. Malaria is a major public health concern in our communities and in Nigeria as a whole. It is obvious that malaria is a big issue in our great nation with the most vulnerable people being children, youth and pregnant women and it is one of the leading causes of illnesses and absenteeism in schools, offices, and in market places, yet it is a treatable and completely preventable disease.

As part of the World Malaria Day, I signed up to be part of the Faiths Act project of the Tony Blair Foundation to lead the campaign in my country Ghana. World Malaria Day fell on a day (Easter) that it would be difficult to get all support from all faiths, so the Christian faith fixed another date which was agreed by those of a Muslim faith.

I was tasked today to be rapporteur to the "Khutba (sermon) Group": twelve Muslim participants at the "Faiths Acts to Save Lives" workshop in Freetown Sierra Leone. We were reviewing a Muslim reflection on malaria in the Foundation’s health messaging booklet.

Today in Freetown, faith leaders from across Sierra Leone have come together with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for a groundbreaking workshop.  The three-day workshop will create a public health messaging programme to be delivered by faith leaders across the country which aims to prevent deaths from malaria, still one of the biggest killers of Sierra Leonian children under the age of five.  The opening ceremony of the workshop was attended by the First Lady, Mrs Sia Nyama Koroma, and other national d

"Sheikh Abubakar Conteh met us on a bridge over one of Freetown's creeks in the heart of the city. We'd met before and his greeting was warm. Men holding hands as they walk along, a nice bit of African culture. He took us down a concrete path, winding past an open sewer, to his compound. There was a giant tureen bubbling in the yard. Up several flights of stairs to his sitting room. No electricity he explained. But a room full of his life and the Islam of hospitality, love and warmth. As President of the Inter-religious Council, he would opening the workshop tomorrow.

Sierra Leone had definitely been en fete. The remains of the bunting and the 50th anniversary of Independence posters were still there. The little hotel at the Lungi jetty had been jollied up and there was talk of new boats for Pelican Water taxis to get you to Aberdeen Bridge in downtown Freetown.  But it was the same old boat and night passage with a Kung Fu movie on the boat video, nice white wake outside with spray through the window.

Today, Tony Blair, recently appointed a UN Foundation “Malaria Champion”, announces the selection of 30 young people from the UK, US, Canada and India to join his Faith Foundation’s youth leadership programme, the Faiths Act Fellowship.

 Are you a young leader interested in promoting peace?

 Are you a young leader interested in promoting peace?