Home based care for people living with HIV and AIDS in Rwanda. photo | courtesy of the Global Fund/John Rae
While still a young venture, (RED) is already making a
tangible difference in the fight against AIDS in Africa.
Positive feedback about (RED)'s efforts has reached
their headquarters in Los Angeles, sometimes through
surprising avenues. Smith recounts a meeting with
executives from Gap in which she was told about how a
man from Ghana waited outside a Gap store in southern
California, asking if he could meet some of the employees.
The man explained that he had lost eight family members
to AIDS and knows of several more that are ill, and
because of (RED), he has hope for their lives. |
Antiretroviral drugs are offered to HIV/AIDS patients. photo | courtesy of the Global Fund/John Rae |
| Folding T-shirts at that particular Gap store probably
never felt the same after a meeting filled with hugs and
a thank you from someone who believed (RED) could
change the lives of people he cared about. |
The man explained that he had lost eight
family members to AIDS and knows of
several more that are ill, and because of
(RED), he has hope for their lives. |
A care point and feeding center supported by the Global Fund, Swaziland. photo | courtesy of the Global Fund/Gideon Mendel |
Retail employees of respective (RED) partners have
proven to be an integral element in the brand's success.
Amid store-specific duties, retail employees often have
impromptu discussions with customers about AIDS in
Africa, the Global Fund and how buying (RED) affects
them both. Shriver seems happily in awe of this type of
communication. "The most amazing [success] to me is the
amount of word of mouth going on in the Gap, Sprint,
Motorola and Apple stores where the sales people are
talking to customers [about AIDS in Africa]."
These employees are able to discuss a variety of topics
concerning AIDS in Africa. With the help of the Global
Fund, these conversations focus on the positive impact that
(RED) makes through their programs. Dr. Feachem recounts
the story of a young Rwandan girl named Denyse who was,
in essence, brought back to life three months after starting
antiretroviral treatment for her HIV positive condition.
At their first meeting, Denyse was skeletal, listless and
had just found out that she was HIV positive. When Dr.
Feachem returned three months later, Denyse was full of
life - smiling and skipping down the hall. Her treatment
is made possible by a health center financed by the Global
Fund with contributions from (RED). |
Orphans attend school with fees supported by the Global Fund in Swaziland. photo | courtesy of the Global Fund/Gideon Mendel |
“With (RED) you don’t have to feel bad,
you don’t have to make a sacrifice; you
can actually do something.” |
With so many choices available to consumers, it's easy
to get lost in the process of selection. (RED) offers a
lot more rhyme to one's purchasing reason, as well as a
way to feel connected to something positive. "You know,
it's interesting, I don't think of (RED) as a cause or as
a model. I think about 6,000 Africans a day dying, and
that's an emergency," Smith states. "With (RED) you
don't have to feel bad, you don't have to make a sacrifice;
you can actually do something. It's very immediate; it's
visceral; it's a very American idea. It's empowering - it's
turning commercialism and pure self-interest on its head
and making it work for the poorest people in the world." |
Orphans and vulnerable children learn income-generating skills at this trade school in Rwanda.
photo | courtesy of the Global Fund/John Rae |
People receive training to develop income-generating skills in
Swaziland. photo | courtesy of the Global Fund/Gideon Mendel |
Even though (RED) incorporates a great sense of
benevolence into its business brand, the staff is
quite savvy at combining their strong humanitarian
convictions with an even stronger sense of business
ethos, making (RED) a powerful business model.
"We're kryptonite to complacency and inertia," Smith
explains. With impressive sales, an army of MySpace
friends and a contribution to life-changing AIDS work
in Africa, (RED) has already proven that it will do
more than just confront the business jungle; it will
embrace it. |
A People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) outreach worker stands in front of a patient's home in Rwanda.
photo | courtesy of the Global Fund/John Rae |
“We’re kryptonite to
complacency and inertia.” |
(RED) ™
info@joinred.com
www.joinred.com
www.myspace.com/joinred
The Global Fund
Geneva Secretariat
Chemin de Blandonnet 8
1214 Vernier
Geneva, Switzerland
+41 22 791 1700
info@theglobalfund.org
www.theglobalfund.org |
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