Buy-A-Net recognized as the 2nd leading citizen-led malaria fighting organization in Uganda

At a Parliamentary Reception, H.E. The Hon. Joseph Kahigwa, Deputy High Commissioner of Uganda, offered words of thanks to Buy-A-Net Malaria Prevention Group for saving lives in Uganda.  Mr. Kahigwa, on behalf of the Government of Uganda said, “Buy-A-Net is the 2nd leading malaria fighting group in Uganda.”  Debra Lefebvre, Founder remarked, “Through community education and involvement, our model of malaria prevention and control is working incredibly well.” jd

Lefebvre Nets Award as Top Citizen

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

Taken from Kingston Whig Standard Post
By Corey Lablans for the Whig-Standard

A promise to make a difference is what Debra Lefebvre wanted.

Last night, the Kingston community honoured her as the Citizen of the Year at a banquet at the Renaissance.

“There are incredibly powerful, caring people out there, and to be in a room where I hear so many inspiring stories, to be selected tells me the judges had to make a very difficult decision,” Lefebvre said last night.

“What we do at Buy-A-Net is very gratifying,” she added, moments after she was named Junior Chamber International Kingston’s 63rd citizen of the year.

In 2004, Lefebvre travelled to Uganda as a registered nurse.

“On a trip to a remote fishing village, I came across the body of a young boy. At that point, I did not realize the devastation of malaria,” she said. “The western world had no idea and when I learned that it was preventable and 100% curable, it angered me. I came back with a passion and a promise to do something about it,” said Lefebvre.”

She became the founder of Buy-A-Net, a charitable organization dealing with Malaria prevention. The volunteer-driven organization raises money to buy bed nets and anti-malaria medicines.

In 2008, the organization took their efforts to a new level, Net-A-Village. The campaign is based on the idea of preventing the spread of Malaria by providing bed nets to an entire village.

Lefebvre was one of six Kingstonians nominated in recognition for their outstanding efforts in the community and globally.

The process was not an easy one, according to Lindsey Fair, chair of the of the 63rd Citizen of the Year Committee.

“There were three rounds of voting before the winner because all of our nominees were so amazing,” Fair said.

Fair went on to say that Lefebvre stood out because of her impact in 2008 and that she not only acted globally, but she inspired Kingstonians to get involved.

The other finalists were:

* Leslie Myles, whose most recent accomplishment was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise more than $60,000 in support of the Limestone Learning Foundation and the ‘Amani House for Children.’

* Linda Bates, who spent the last year working on “The Children of the North Haiti,” a project to help improve the lives of children in Haiti.

* Col. Spike Hazelton, who recently returned from Afghanistan. He oversaw an increase in family programs at CFB Kingston.

* Doug Girvin and Linda Ross, who created SEE Green Kingston, a group of organizations in Kingston whose goal is to see Kingston become sustainable.

Lefebvre is following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Bob Wells.