ZeroMalaria is a non-profit organization that was created with a goal to fight malaria, a disease which kills millions of people everyday in Africa.

The principal objective of this association, founded by celebrities like Dji Dieng, an internationally known top model and humanitarian activist from Senegal, is to promote the prevention and treatment of Malaria through the collection and distribution of important materials like mosquito nets and medicine to ensure treatment against malaria.

Jamati had the honor and priviledge of interviewing Dji, who, despite her busy calendar, answered to our questions. It is with great pleasure and pride that I introduce you to one of our African beauties, a hard working woman, Dji, who is going to tell us about her organization’s goals and future projects.

Jamati: Tell our readers about yourself. Who is Dji Dieng? Your origin?

Dji Dieng: I was born in Thies, Senegal, and spent my childhood partly in Dakar, as well as in Paris and spent time in Italy and the United States of America to learn languages.

I am on catwalks from Paris to Milan, Copenhagen to London, Cape Town to Hong Kong; at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, the Nokia Fashion Week, for Haute-Couturiers, Prêt-à-Porter designers including Hermès, Christian Dior, Carven, Vivienne Westwood, Romeo Gigli, Missoni, Trash-Couture, Eymeric Francois, Maurizio Galante, Torrente, DIESEL, Jean-Luc Amsler, Alphadi, LIFEBALL, and many more to be listed.

Companies and marketing agencies have chosen me for publicity campaigns as Coca- Cola Light, FIAT-Alfa Romeo, Makeup Forever, J&B Whiskey, Vivienne Westwood, CCR, MAC, and CLARINS.

Many TV stations have interviewed me and broadcasted my performances all over the world: Sky-TV, Euronews, France2, BBC, RTL, VOX, TSR, Canale 4 and 5 Italy, South Africa, Moscow TV, VIP TV, PULS TV, Fashion- TV, FTV, Japanese TV, SF DRS1, SAT1, ARD, ORF, Antenne 2, ATV+, in Asia, etc.

Jamati: How did you come up with the idea of creating Zero Malaria? Talk to us about the organization and its goals.

Dji Dieng: For many years I am involved into humanitarian support. I was honored with the Award For Humanity, The Leading Ladies Award and the United Nations Volunteer Award for my social engagements for UNESCO, but also for HIV / AIDS prevention and breast cancer. I had sponsored a lot of charity events and photo shoots for those causes.

Having been a victim of malaria myself, I decided to found, together with other celebrities, the ZeroMalaria Association to combat one of the most dangerous diseases of our planet. Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria ! And every 30 seconds an adult dies from malaria!  I believe those are reasons enough to support the cause, isn’t it!

Jamati: How can individuals make a donation?

Dji Dieng: Any individual (and corporations) can make donations to ZeroMalaria.  ZeroMalaria e.V. is duly registered as a humanitarian organization in Munich, Germany (Reg. No. VR202111). Any donations, even as little as it could be, helps to save life!
Bank: Kreissparkasse Muenchen Starnberg Germany
Account: 22039721
IBAN: DE91702501500022039721
SWIFT: BYLA DE M1 KMS
Beneficiary: ZeroMalaria e.V.

Jamati: When will a “ZeroMalaria” concert be in the United States? In Africa?

Dji Dieng: Indeed, we are planning different charity events, including concerts and fashion shows. Our concept has been trademarked and is called “Rhythm & Angles”. The entire benefit of the charity events will be to distribute the mosquito nets for free to the poor and poorest in the malaria endemic countries.

Jamati: What is one specific goal you want to accomplish in 2009 for Zero Malaria?

Dji Dieng: We do have short-, medium-, and long-term targets. ZeroMalaria is managed by a professional crisis manager and marketing managers. The short terms goals are to enter quickly into partnerships with companies as partners to be able to distribute as much mosquito nets for free as possible.

Europeans and Americans are not aware that the mosquito nets are the most efficient way to prevent malaria. If there is one malaria-infected person in a house, all the family gets malaria easily through transmission by the mosquito. [This is another]reason to put the infected person under the net first.

So our goal is to distribute a maximum number of mosquito nets for free.

 Jamati: Future projects for Zero Malaria?

Dji Dieng: Middle and long- term projects are to distribute free prophylaxis medication to help treat the poor and poorest people.

Please support ZeroMalaria on the 25th April 2009 – THE INTERNATIONAL MALARIA WORLD-DAY