Coordinator of the Mosquitero Project Venezuela that has delivered 75,000 LLIN style bed-nets to Venezuela using multiple Rotary Foundation Global Grants. Worked with Freddy Gomez & Patti Urban of the RCKB to deliver 17,250 LLINs in and around Iquitos, Peru.
Born & raised in Toronto, Canada now a dual American/Canadian citizen living in Miami, Florida & Lighthouse Cove, Ontario.
From 2001 to 2006 my wife Peggy & I lived in Caracas, Venezuela. During that time, I spent at least a month each year in the Alto Ventuari region of Amazonas State traveling in the jungle by dugout canoe and by foot. I met and became friends with Grand chief Isaias Rodriguez. Grand Chief Isaias often expressed his concern about how malaria was sickening and killing his people. I promised Isaias that I would work to help fight malaria. I worked with the indigenous people to create a bed-net (mosquitero) designed to work with the hammocks that the indigenous people customarily use for sleeping. Over three years Peggy & I delivered 1000 mosquiteros to the indigenous people of the Ventuari River and its tributaries and a further 1000 mosquiteros to indigenous people of the Caura River basin. We returned to the USA in 2006 then moved to Miami in 2008. I joined Rotary and everything changed!
Matching Grant #75905 –1500 bed nets for Venezuela 2011-2012
Global Grant #141114 — 6,000 bed nets for Venezuela 2013 -2014
Global Grant #1528880 – 67,595 – bed nets for Venezuela 2017 – 2019*
*(nets for this GG were donated by Vestergaard SA)
Total Nets delivered in Venezuela: 75,095
Global Grant #1638802
Phase I – 7,000 nets to Peru
Phase II – 10,250 bed nets to Peru
Total nets delivered in Peru: 17,250.
Statistic collected in both Venezuela and Peru show that our LLIN treated bed-nets can cut new malaria infections by up to 80% when used and cared for correctly by recipients. We know that, on average, our nets cover 2 people every night. Together, our group of Rotarians from Key Biscayne, Puerto Ordaz & Iquitos have provided effective protection against malaria infection for 165,000 people in Venezuela & Peru.
Board member of RAM-Global, Rotarians Against Malaria – Global
Rotarian Action Group (formerly REMaRAG) and work as Acting Treasurer & Learning & Development Director.
Member of the International Fellowship of Fishing Rotarians & Whiskey DRAM – Whiskey Drinking Rotarians And Members
