Instead of requesting presents for his 40th birthday, David Arquette is giving back to Malaria No More, the nonprofit organization that is working to end malaria deaths in Africa, where a child dies of the disease every 45 seconds.

The actor returned from a five-day trip to the West African nation of Senegal on Aug. 7 and will be spending the next month - until his birthday on Sept. 8 - uploading photos and videos from his trip. He's reaching out to fans online with David Arquette's Birthday Giveback campaign, at Crowdrise.com/ArquetteGiveBack.

In addition, David brought back his favorite Senegalese souvenirs and will be giving them away to fans via the campaign! He also promises some surprising stories; there's already a photo of David doing a hip Senegalese dance - an African "Dougie."

In Senegal, David worked hard, mingling with locals, handing out mosquito nets, talking with parents and meeting with village chiefs. Most malaria victims are African children younger than 5, and as David expresses in a heartwarming letter to fans on his site, "When I think about kids' birthday gifts, I usually think about bikes and Transformers and pogo sticks. But together, we can give a far more important gift: the gift of growing up."

David's already raised more than $1,200 on his website, and as an extra incentive to donate, Sumitomo Chemical/Olyset, a leader in the global fight against malaria, has promised to match every dollar raised up to $25,000. Since malaria is preventable and treatable, David and his fans have the chance to really make a difference!

Photo Credit: Laura Hajar