Behind the scenes at Vanity Fair

I'm a huge photography enthusiast, so I don't want you to miss this behind-the-scenes video from Vanity Fair's special Africa issue, edited by Bono. Watch renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz craft the 20 iconic covers on Vanity Fair's website. "It's a visual chain letter," says Leibovitz, "spreading the message from person to person to person."

Click here to watch:
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/video/2007/africacovers_video200707

The covers feature a prominent group of people with one thing in common – Africa – including Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Warren Buffett, George W. Bush, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Bill and Melinda Gates, Djimon Hounsou, Iman, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Barack Obama, Brad Pitt, Queen Rania of Jordan, Condoleezza Rice, Chris Rock, Desmond Tutu, Oprah Winfrey, and Bono.

Pick up your copy on the newsstand now, or log on to VANITYFAIR.COM.

Don't forget, if you subscribe to Vanity Fair this month via their online sign-up at VANITYFAIR.COM, they will contribute $5 of the subscription price to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs for women and children.

Subscribe now!

Get your GapKids and babyGap (PRODUCT) RED

It's a good day to be a kid. Or, in my case, size small.

GapKids and babyGap joined the (PRODUCT) RED family today, with their new collection of bodysuits, t-shirts, hoodies and pants designed for babies and kids, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Colette and I visited to the Gap store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica this afternoon to take a look, and boy, am I glad my five-foot-two self can fit into a boy's (PRODUCT) RED sweatshirt! (I have trouble fitting into "adult" clothes. I know, I know, don't make fun of me.)

While I was trying on the gray sweatshirt, a Gap sales associate came by to tell me that half the profits from the sales of (PRODUCT) RED goes to fighting AIDS in Africa. She also mentioned that the sales team at the store was thrilled to see the new products today at their morning meeting, and that they loved the sweatshirt I was wearing the most out of all the items. I didn't tell her that I work at (RED), because I wanted her to continue talking about (RED) without being distracted by what I already know.

When I got to the register, the same sales associate looked up at my armful of GapKids (PRODUCT) RED and said, "Wow! You're helping a lot of people." I smiled back at her and said thanks. I'm glad that the Gap employees are telling customers about how their (PRODUCT) RED purchases will help fight AIDS in Africa. It's an important part of spreading (RED) – from store to customer, customer to customer, and so on...

Stop by your local GapKids and babyGap stores today – or order online at babyGap.com and GapKids.com starting July 5 – and share photos of your kids in their GapKids (PRODUCT) RED gear by emailing moblog@joinred.com. We can't wait to see actual kids in these clothes, not just me :)

Cheers,
--bn

Footage from the Sahara

Tom Freston's article "Showtime In The Sahara" for this month's special Africa issue of Vanity Fair gives readers a good sense of what it's like to go into the Sahara in search of "the world's most remote music festival," the Festival in the Desert. On the trip with Tom, Jonathan Brandstein captured the festival on camera, and wrote a few words about his "Tracks in the Sand" video for (BLOG) RED.

To get the soundtrack for their trip, go to iTunes and get yourself a copy of Tracks In the Sand, an album for Africa, by Africa. 100% of the sales price of the album goes to the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. --bn



From Jonathan:

I hope this video gives people a feel for our trip, which was featured in Tom Freston's article for Vanity Fair, "Showtime in the Sahara." I shot all the footage during the trip. I hope you get a sense of the journey that one takes when going to Timbuktu and Essakane, (home of the Festival In the Desert). Most of those attending the festival arrive by camel; we did it in SUVs. In his article, Tom accurately describes the journey by saying "the ride shakes us to the bone." Despite the rattling, bumps and getting stuck in the sand, the landscape is visually stunning. You'll notice that the environment isn't consistent. One thing I didn't expect was the ever-changing topography – driving in the Sahara you see crystal white sand dunes, transitioning to patches of tamarisk trees followed by giant dry lake beds that eventually fade back to sand. Everything except a man-made structure or shelter for miles. An image that remained with me long after the trip was the sight of a lone nomad walking through the Sahara with a flock of goats, with nothing but sand dunes in front of him. Life is hard out there.

Four and a half hours later we get to the festival. Living up to expectation, one of the first things that we saw was the arrival of a band of Tuaregs by camel. You quickly realize you've arrived someplace special. Next I had my camera rolling while uber-photographer Jonas Karlsson was trying to capture Habib Koite. While Jonas was working I managed to get his producer Ron Beinner to give us his thoughts. Later I ask Habib what he thinks of the festival, his response sums it up best: "This place, crazy place. You can lose yourself here." He is an amazing performer and mesmerizing. The long shot of him singing "Cigarette Abana" I actually shot last year, but it was the very song that turned me into a huge fan. The last shot in the video is of Rachid, an amazing young guy from Morocco that I met at Essakane. I turned the camera on him and he started telling me that he hitchhiked from Casablanca to get to the festival. It took him 12 days to hitchhike through the Sahara. No small feat. However, what amazed me more was when he told me his guiding principle. This was an unexpected but sublime response. It also shows the power of music...

Most people think the Festival in the Desert is just a music festival. It isn't. In fact, it's much more. Since the inhabitants or Tuaregs of the Sahara are nomadic, their way of life depends of having "gatherings." Many things happen here: settling of differences, trading, marriages; and at night, in the true spirit of coming to together, they play music. In the last several years the outside world has been invited to participate in this event. The result is the ability for Tuaregs to improve their way of life and export their culture to a global audience. While it might be the most remote music festival on the planet, it does not lack talent. An assortment of musicians, with boundless talent to match.

--Jonathan Brandstein

iTunes New Music Tuesday: Tracks In The Sand

If you're an iTunes customer, you may have received an email in your inbox yesterday from Apple to announce that the (RED) + Vanity Fair's new album Tracks In The Sand is available on iTunes, with 100% of the sales price going to the Global Fund, to fight AIDS in Africa.

Inspired by "Showtime in the Sahara," Tom Freston's article in this month's Vanity Fair Africa issue about traveling to an African music festival in Timbuktu, (RED) asked Youssou N'Dour to curate this compilation of 15 of the best recordings by West African artists, including Salif Keita, Ali Farka Touré, Baaba Maal, Oumou Sangare, Djelimady Tounkara, and Orchestra Baobab. Find out more at the Tracks In The Sand iTunes page.

Click here to see the newsletter now, if you didn't get it yesterday.

And buy your copy of Tracks In The Sand on iTunes now, with this easy link: JOINRED.COM/TRACKS

Let us know what you think of the album by leaving your feedback on the iTunes page of the album.

Thanks,
bn

Connecting

Emailed from Rocky Dawuni, leaving Ghana

We started our first day with a briefing from Dr. Nii Akwei Addo, the head of the Ghana National Aids Control Program (NACP). This took place at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra where he used a Powerpoint presentation to illustrate the HIV/AIDS situation and how the Global Fund grants have been put to use. Elle Macpherson, Tamsin Smith, Adele Sulcas, Roz Hunt, Alexis Dormandy and I then visited the wards of the Teaching Hospital where we met and heard testimonies from nurses, clients and doctors about their needs and results of Global Fund-sponsored ARV treatments. At one of the wards we were all deeply moved when a bedridden client prayed for our team and (RED)'s efforts.

From Korle-Bu we traveled for an hour to Agomenya in the Eastern Region of Ghana. This is considered the epicenter of HIV/AIDs in Ghana and where the first trials of ARVs began at St. Martin's Hospital. We sat in on a counseling session for pregnant women and had a group discussion with HIV-positive clients who have all benefited from the medicine that's brought them back to life.

One recurrent theme in our town hall style discussion was the issue of the HIV stigma. Many had lost family support when they were diagnosed with the illness. This was really devastating considering the fact that family bonds form the cornerstone of African communities. Access to treatment has helped alleviates this since many can now support themselves again.

It was great to see them connect their joy with ours when Elle and I announced the (RED) grant. We explained that (RED) is a brand that empowered consumers to consciously influence their own lives and those of others through purchases.

We spent the evening at the Jazztone Club in Accra's Airport residential district. I was joined by some of my musical mentors, namely Mac Tontoh of Osibisa fame and Highlife legend Gyedu Blay Ambolley. The night evolved into a huge jam session with my friends and I taking turns on the microphone. It was a beautiful closure to a great day!

The Melody Line

Via email from Tamsin, leaving Ghana

A colleague of mine often talks about finding "the melody line" of a particular idea or event. I'm pretty sure that I heard the melody line of this trip to Ghana at the jazz bar that Rocky's brother Bob took us to Thursday night. Some of the country's most brilliant musicians – trumpeter Mac Tontoh of Osibisa, Highlife legend Gyedu Blay Ambolley, and Rocky himself – left their seats, one after the other, to join the trio on stage. Even the head of the National AIDS Control Program, our host for the day, showed up and taught us a thing or two about celebration.

Music is a powerful universal. It's often a song that triggers our memories or crystallizes and connects a particular moment in time. During the Heart of America tour in 2002, Bono and Bobby got to know a young man called Andrews Bonsu (pictured here with Elle and Rocky), who was lead singer in the Gateway Ambassadors choir that accompanied them. The choir sang "American Prayer," and Andrews even said a prayer for Dr. Dre at a recording session in LA. A year later, on World AIDS Day, Andrews delivered a prayer for a cure for HIV/AIDS before a crowd of 40,000 people at Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert in Cape Town, South Africa. He was then named an official Mandela Ambassador. We had breakfast with Andrews in Accra Friday morning. He's 17 now, attending high school this year, still making music, and aspiring to become a pilot and preacher.

Our final visit on Friday ended in a song amidst a field of the most delicious pineapple I have ever tasted. Adele from the Global Fund writes below about the HIV-positive men and women from the Wisdom Center, who are involved in several revenue-generation projects, from growing pineapples to sewing garments. They had a lot of smart ideas, which they are putting in action. We gained plenty of wisdom there...

The (RED) team and friends came here to announce that Ghana will begin receiving (RED) consumer-generated money from the Global Fund, and we prepare to end this trip with a very full memory bank... one that will keep growing.

Grace, restored

Via email from Adele, leaving Ghana

The sites we have visited on this trip with Elle and Rocky have been a microcosm of the whole spectrum of care and treatment for HIV provided by Ghana Health Services (a division of the Ministry of Health, and the principal recipient of Global Fund money), through its National AIDS Control Program (NACP). Ghana has chosen to approach its national program with an intense and obviously effective focus on the psycho-social aspect of what being HIV-positive means. Though it is only with Global Fund funding – and soon, (RED) money – that national availability of antiretroviral combination therapy (ART) is now possible for most Ghanaians, Ghana Health Services has chosen to charge clients a token amount for ART: 50,000 cedis, or around $5, per month. This payment is for the drugs, regular CD4 count tests, full blood count and liver and kidney function tests, drugs for opportunistic infections, and anything else a patient may need in the course of having their HIV infection managed.

In a poor country like Ghana, you may ask, “Why charge anything?” especially since the actual cost of treatment is more than ten times what is charged. Can such a small amount really make a difference? The reason, NACP head Dr Nii Akwei Addo explained to us, is not to subsidise the cost of treatment, per se but to encourage Ghanaians to value the care and treatment they are committing to. (Nobody is denied treatment if they can’t afford it; people pay what and when they can). It is also one important way to ensure that each patient adheres to their drug regimen so as to protect their own health, and the health of the broader public by not allowing drug resistance to develop (which can happen if people take breaks or stop their treatment).

The humaneness, and the holistic nature of this approach, were driven home to us early on Day 2 when we spent some time with Ellen Sam, an adherence counselor and pharmacist at Police Hospital, who gave new meaning – for each one of us – to the importance of substantial hugs, apart from anything else. Ellen’s role is to prepare clients before they begin taking ARVs. She spends time with them on a weekly, even daily basis, in one-on-one sessions, explaining the implications of going onto lifelong ART, before actually dispensing the drugs. Ellen – and others like her – play a critical role in helping clients understand the importance of taking their drugs at the same time, every single day, without fail, for the rest of their lives. And they don’t start a client on treatment until they feel sure that that client is really ready to take full responsibility for making this commitment.

The result? A deep, passionate appreciation of what the accessibility of treatment means in the lives of all affected Ghanaians. “The Global Fund is really a miracle, it is a lifeline, it should never stop,” Ellen told us, wide-eyed with happiness on behalf of her clients. “The Global Fund, and now (RED), is doing wonders. We need it, we want it, we depend on it, it should never stop, it is a real lifeline… You are giving people a second chance to live. The average Ghanaian cannot afford these drugs, but for the Global Fund.”

Having spent most of the past two days in a variety of clinical facilities – hospitals and clinics – on our final afternoon we experienced something which seemed a world apart from the often frightened and depressed figures we had seen in hospital waiting rooms, mostly people who have newly discovered their status and have not yet experienced the hopefulness that comes with knowing that ART can change your life.

An hour and a half east of Accra, after braving some congested traffic and then turning down a bumpy road that led us through rolling hills covered in 20 lush shades of tropical green, we reached the pineapple farm of the Wisdom Association, a group of about 300 people living with HIV who mostly live in Accra but have leased land here in Medie to carry out various income-generating activities for members of the group (for some, this is their livelihood). Wisdom’s President is Kofi Ampong, a warm, charismatic 40-something year old with an idea-a-minute about exciting new projects to develop the association and benefit the members (the next actionable one is a fish farm in the river that flows through the pineapple farm). Wisdom, like hundreds of other such groups around the country given Global Fund money by the NACP to enable them to meet regularly, and to develop income-generating activities, provides a safe haven for people living with HIV (PLH’s, as they say in Ghana) – acceptance, advice, and understanding, in an environment where news that one is HIV-positive can still result in rejection and fear – and in many cases, a source of livelihood in a country where, HIV-positive or negative, work is hard to come by.

Along with 67,000 spiky pineapple plants planted 6 months ago which members will turn mostly into juice when they mature in 3 months’ time, the association runs various sewing and craft groups, and in a corner of the farm breeds grasscutters – giant guinea-pig sort of creatures that are considered a local delicacy (we preferred the luscious, sweet pineapple samples on offer to the long-toothed furry creatures) and fetch high sums in local markets. Members choose the activities they are interested in and then take responsibility for making those activities work, in the process earning themselves a living, and continuing to strengthen a community whose optimism, confidence, resilience and sheer joy in life were a gift for us to witness.

Most Wisdom members are on treatment; those who aren’t are not yet at the point in their infection where they need it. We re-met Dorcas, whom Roz (from (RED)’s Europe office) and I had met when we were here a month ago. Dorcas, a slender, perfectly groomed mother to a 17-year-old boy who looks much younger than her 41 years, has been on ART for 3 years, though she discovered she was positive 8 years ago. She has no work other than her work on the Wisdom farm every Saturday, and though life is still hard for her, she radiates serenity. Stephen, Wisdom’s 54-year-old treasurer, has a wiry frame, a spring in his step and a mischievous smile, and the power to support his 7 children.

It was all here, on that afternoon we stood among the rows of spiky green plants, listening to the uplifted voices of 12 women members of Wisdom, singing their praise and thanks for the brilliant turnaround in their lives, and for (RED)’s contribution. This was the embodiment – literally, the fruition – of everything the Global Fund and (RED) are aiming for in helping provide ART for those who otherwise could not afford it: a return to health, allowing people and communities and whoe countries to look beyond illness, to get on with their lives, to earn a living and support their families, to regain their pride, to be on hand to support their friends, and to face the world with confidence, and with high hopes.

I could say nothing more fitting than Ellen’s words from earlier that day: “It is amazing when you can give somebody the power to live.”

A quick summary of our itinerary:
Day 1 of our trip began with an overview of the HIV/AIDs situation in Ghana by Dr Nii Akwei Addo, program manager of the NACP, at the NACP offices. The we went to what is known as the Fevers Unit, at Korle-Bu Hospital, Accra’s main hospital and the place that has become know in Ghana as the place to go for HIV-related care, Korle-Bu still treats by far the largest proportion of the 8600 people in Ghana who are on antiretrovirals. In the afternoon we drove out to St Martin’s, a mission
hospital in the Agomenya district, the region with the highest HIV-prevalence in
the country (it’s now around 8%, much higher than the national average of just
below 3%), and the first hospital to provide ARVs in Ghana when Ghana Health
Services was piloting ARV distribution in 2003 after receiving their first
Global Fund grant.

On Day 2 we started with a visit to Police Hospital, a relatively small (compared to Korle-Bu) private hospital that used to be for the use of police and military personnel only, but is now open to all. There Elle and Rocky met three clients who are on ARVs, one of the midwives, Florence Okra, and an adherence counselor, Ellen Sam. Then we drove east again, this time out to a district called Medie, to visit a farm run by the Wisdom Assocation, for a meeting with 15 members of the 300-strong association, which is based in Accra but runs the farm as an income-generating activity a little
over an hour’s drive outside of the capital.

Choices

Transcribed from voicemail left by Elle Macpherson in Ghana

Hi, it's Elle. Well, it's well past 1 a.m., and I'm just now getting back from our first full day in Ghana.

So many revelations. We heard many sides of Ghana's efforts to control and eventually eliminate AIDS. First at the Korle-Bu fevers unit and later at St. Martins Catholic Hospital. We listened to clients and caregivers talk about the impact of treatment on their lives and their families and their society. It's really amazing to see these strong people talk about the differences that the ARV medicine has made. The pills restore their health, but also their power of choice.

I feel that we gain strength and ground when we make choices that heal, choices that teach, choices that unify. HIV-positive people in Ghana will have more choices thanks to the (RED) money that will flow. By choosing (RED), I feel stronger. I understand the why behind that even better after coming here.

And, coming here gives me a sense of hope. Individuals are empowered by the simple act of choosing (RED), all over the world – in the UK, US and now as far away as Australia and Japan. That action will now have an impact in Ghana – that’s pretty powerful.

--Elle

Postcards from Ghana

Photos sent by Tamsin Smith, Elle Macpherson, and Rocky Dawuni from Ghana, the third country to receive (RED) money for their AIDS programs later this year. Photos by Gary Moyes

Good Tidings and Hope

Tonight, Vanity Fair celebrates its Africa issue with a reception at Barneys in New York, where the store windows are currently displaying all 20 covers of their historic Africa issue.

As a few of our colleagues gather in NYC to spread a message of hope for Africa to American readers, a few others from the (RED) team, along with friends of (RED) Elle Macpherson and Rocky Dawuni, are in Ghana to learn about how (RED) money will help Ghanians affected by HIV/AIDS.

For Rocky, it is a special visit to his homeland, and he emailed us from Ghana with this note. Stay tuned for photos and more reports from Ghana.

--bn


I was just wrapping up the final days of my 22-day trip to Israel when I received an invitation from Tamsin Smith, president of (RED), to join (RED) Ambassador Elle Macpherson and the (RED) team on their trip to my homeland Ghana.

It really felt like my prayers in the Holy Land were being answered since this trip was coinciding with the announcement of Ghana as the third recipient of the Global Fund (RED) grant. Rwanda and Swaziland were the first two recipients. The goal of the grant is to support the Global Fund’s initiatives in Ghana to diminish HIV/AIDS illness and death by rolling out a comprehensive package of prevention, treatment, care and support services.

While waiting for my flight from Los Angeles on June 12th, I also noticed the Vanity Fair Africa issue featuring (RED) on all the newspaper stands. It was great to know that our trip related to the implementation aspect of (RED). As Ghana celebrates it 50th anniversary of independence this year, I felt we were bearers of good tidings and hope to my brothers and sisters suffering from HIV and AIDS.

--Rocky

Learn more about Rocky Dawuni and his music at:
www.rockydawuni.com
www.myspace.com/rockydawunimusic

Let It Grow

E-mailed from Tamsin, from London en route to Accra, Ghana

(RED) began with a simple idea — the belief that a consumer movement could spread faster than a deadly disease.

From the nucleus of this insurgent idea, new energy has flowed. Influential brands direct their creative energy towards (RED) product lines that excite shoppers and generate a novel, sustainable source of money for the Global Fund.

Another manifestation of the idea taking off is the influential individuals who have poured their own energies into spreading (RED). Twenty-one of these influencers grace the covers of Vanity Fair's July issue. Today, two more travel to Ghana with me, the UK team and colleagues from the Global Fund: Elle Macpherson and Rocky Dawuni.

You'll hear from all of us over the next couple of days. We visit Ghana with the exciting news that the country will become a (RED) funding recipient and to meet the people we'll be working with there.

I thought I'd share a great comment that Elle made at a dinner in London last night. She said that (RED) raises one's awareness of and power to impact big things, even as one person. That is the big idea that fuels (RED). And, that is how we will grow this movement. We each have influence over our own choices and influence over our friends, family and associates. So (YOU) RED -- go spread (RED). The idea lives and moves with you.

Tamsin

On the way to Ghana

This week, a few members of the (RED) and Global Fund teams will be on the ground in Ghana to learn more about the country and see firsthand the AIDS programs that (RED) money will be supporting in the coming months, when Ghana becomes the third recipient of (RED) money. (In its first year, (RED) has generated $25 million for the Global Fund. $11 million is already at work in Africa funding AIDS programs in Rwanda and Swaziland.)

Along for the trip are friends of (RED) Elle Macpherson and Rocky Dawuni. Readers from the UK might remember Elle's support of (RED) last year, when she helped promote the launch of the AMERICAN EXPRESS RED card.

You may also remember Rocky Dawuni from this blog, when he told us stories of his humanitarian work in Ghana and explained why he's a (RED) supporter. Rocky dropped by our office in LA today before his flight and told us that he's excited to show our colleagues his homeland and learn more about the issues and solutions at work in Ghana.

As the trip progresses, we'll hear from Elle and Rocky, as well as Tamsin, (RED)'s president and a frequent blogger here. While we wait for their stories, photos and videos, I want to give you a little more background on what Ghana seeks to achieve with (RED) money. Below you'll also find their itinerary.

GHANA FACTS AND HIV/AIDS OUTLOOK FOR 2007

• Population: 22.1m
• HIV prevalence: 2.4-3.2%
• Health spend per capita: $31
• Life Expectancy: 56 (men) and 58 (women)
• Number of people living with HIV: 312,000, including
• Women (over 15): 180,000
• Children: 22,000

• Cumulative AIDS deaths (1986-2006): 147,000
• Cumulative number of AIDS orphans (1986-2006): 1.2 million
• Total current need for antiretroviral (ARV) treatment
  
• Men: 27,000
  
• Women: 37,000
  

GHANA'S GLOBAL FUND “PRINCIPAL RECIPIENT”
The Ministry of Health is the Global Fund’s “principal recipient” in Ghana, meaning all Global Fund financing is channeled through the Ministry of Health, to Ghana Health Services (GHS), for use in the National AIDS Control Program (NACP).

The priorities of the NACP are to reduce new infections of HIV and provide care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL FUND (RED) GRANT IN GHANA
The grant’s overall goal is to diminish HIV/AIDS illness and death by rolling out more widely – on a national level – a comprehensive package of prevention, treatment, care and support services, as well as integrating HIV/AIDS and TB activities (TB is a common HIV “co-infection” and often requires treatment before or in parallel with HIV treatment).

Ghana’s 5 year HIV-related goals (RED) money that flows to Ghana will support Global Fund-financed programs, which aim to:

• Increase the number and percentage of people (ages 14-59) accessing voluntary counseling and testing services, from 7% of the population to 30% by 2010
• Reduce the transmission of HIV from mother to child from 30% to 15% by 2010
• Increase the number of people living with HIV and AIDS on antiretroviral treatment from 2,500 to 35,000 by 2010
• Increase the number of people treated for sexually transmitted infections from 10,000 to 60,000 by 2010
• Increase the number of sites providing services for treatment of opportunistic infections from 4 to 138
• Integrate HIV and TB prevention, care and support activities in 110 districts by 2010
• Increase operational capacity and technical expertise to support the implementation of all these scaled-up activities

Ghana’s HIV-related results
(RED) money that will flow to Ghana will continue to support programs that have already:

• Enabled 176,000 people to complete the HIV testing and counseling process
• Trained 153 counselors
• Enabled testing and counseling of over 57,000 pregnant women
• Established 340 Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) centers for HIV
• Provided a course of antiretroviral prophylaxis to 1817 HIV-positive pregnant women
• Provided ARVs to 8600 people
• Prepared 48 service delivery points to provide ARVs
• Prepared 52 laboratories with the capacity to monitor ARVs
• Trained 176 service deliverers in clinical management of people living with HIV

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1 – JUNE 14, 2007

Meeting with Dr Addo, Head of the NACP
A short briefing, to include:

• History and current state of HIV in Ghana
• Overview of GF grants in country
• Preview of sites the group will be visiting
• Description of public-private collaborations (eg. pilot program with private hospitals)

Fevers Unit, Korle-Bu
This is the original Communicable Diseases unit at Accra’s main public hospital, Korle-Bu, which has been turned into a unit dealing primarily with HIV/AIDS. It has been refurbished with Global Fund money, and is the place where the majority of people on ARVs in the country receive their care and treatment.

The visit, led by Dr Kenu, will include:

• A general tour showing in sequence the process that a client would experience (counseling/patient triage, counseling rooms, consulting rooms, in-patient ward, laboratory tests)
• A visit to the pharmacy to see HIV-related drugs being dispensed

St. Martins Catholic Hospital, Agomenya
This hospital is an example of one of the mission hospitals instrumental in the implementation of the National AIDS Control Programme. The Agomenya region is historically the highest-prevalence region in Ghana, currently at 8.5% (down from 18% in 1992).

This visit will include:

• General introductory short meeting with all staff, giving an overview of services offered
• An in depth session at Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) clinic, including a meeting with counselors, and the possibility to sit in on a counseling session with a pregnant woman client who is being taken through the counseling and testing process
• A visit to the laboratory, with explanation of various HIV-related tests and of the CD4 process

DAY 2 – JUNE 15, 2007

Police Hospital, Osu
This hospital was originally for the use of police and military, but is now open to the public, since December of 2006. There is a very active PMTCT section, staffed by 3 midwives. Fridays are “clinic” days so we expect to see a very busy scene.

This visit, led by Dr Nyarko, will include:

• A PMTCT health talk
  
• Introduction to Dr Asamiah, the Chief Superintendent, and a brief description of the Police HIV/AIDS program
• A meeting with Florence Okra, one of the midwives, who will give an overview of her role and the challenges she faces
• A meeting with Ellen Sam, an adherence counselor, to give an idea of her role in helping patients understand how to take and stick to their drug regimen.

Wisdom Association, Medie
The Wisdom Association is a support group for people living with HIV. It is one of about 700 such groups in the country, supported in part by Global Fund money via the NACP. The Wisdom Association has around 300 members in the greater Accra area. In addition to offering psycho-social support to its members and their families, the association also coordinates – and this case, finances – income-generating activities for its members.

This visit will take place at one such income-generation project, a pineapple farm outside of Accra, in Medie. The visit will include:

• An introduction to the association by Kofi Ampong, the president of Wisdom
• Explanation of the pineapple farm project
• A meeting with a small group of Wisdom members, to hear their stories of how they came to know their HIV status, and what this means to them

(RED), Dazed & Confused in Japan

Hot on the heels of Vanity Fair, Dazed & Confused Japan is dedicating an entire issue of its magazine to (RED)!

On newsstands tomorrow, Dazed Japan introduces (RED) to the Japanese, who will start seeing more (PRODUCT) RED items in stores in the coming months. Currently, Japanese residents can buy Gap (PRODUCT) RED items, the Motorola (PRODUCT) RED MOTORAZR phone, the Emporio Armani (PRODUCT) RED capsule collection, and the iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition.

Inside Dazed Japan, readers will find an in-depth interview with (RED) CEO and co-founder Bobby Shriver, during which Bobby explains how (RED) works, and what's in store for the future. Look out for interviews with people who've been affected by and work on projects related to HIV/AIDS in Africa. Dazed Japan also brings the topic home, with interviews with people affected by HIV/AIDS in Tokyo and information about prevention.

Inspired by (RED), Dazed Japan asked artists and fashion designers to create (RED)-related art and products to feature within the magazine. Dazed co-founder Jefferson Hack also explains to readers why he supports (RED), and showcases (RED) artwork that was first featured in the Dazed UK April issue.

If you're in Japan, pick up a copy!

(RED) supporter Bill Gates challenges Harvard graduates to help solve global health crises

"Harvard's most successful dropout" Bill Gates returned to his alma mater yesterday to receive an honorary degree and deliver an inspiring commencement speech to the graduating class.

In his speech, he brought up global health crises such as AIDS, and asked the seniors, "Imagine, just for the sake of discussion, that you had a few hours a week and a few dollars a month to donate to a cause – and you wanted to spend that time and money where it would have the greatest impact in saving and improving lives. Where would you spend it?"

Later on, he challenged the graduates to look beyond their world to help solve global problems:

"I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue – a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don’t have to do that to make an impact. For a few hours every week, you can use the growing power of the Internet to get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them.

Don’t let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the great experiences of your lives."

Click below to read the full transcript of Bill Gates' speech:
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2007/06.14/99-gates.html

Bono tells us why he brought Africa to Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair - The Africa Covers

Annie Leibovitz shot 21 people for 20 different covers of Vanity Fair -- find out how it all came together at VANITYFAIR.COM.

From Vanity Fair: Lulu, the (RED) Stakeholder

Meet Lulu, a 24-year-old HIV-positive mother who's regained her strength with the help of antiretroviral treatment funded by (RED) money. She works as a translator at the Baylor pediatric AIDS clinic in Swaziland, where she appears with other mothers and children along with her daughter Sinetepha (“we have hope”), who is HIV-negative thanks to the kind of mother-to-child transmission prevention efforts that the Global Fund is financing with (RED) money. Read more at VANITYFAIR.COM.

VANITY FAIR – THE AFRICA ISSUE

We hope you're excited about this month's Vanity Fair, guest edited by (RED) co-founder Bono. The issue hits newsstands in Los Angeles and New York this week, and will be available nationwide on June 12.

Who's going to be on the cover of your copy? There are 20 different covers of people who've all done something for Africa – you may even want to pick up a few copies, as every cover was shot by Annie Leibovitz! This is the first time that Vanity Fair has had 20 different covers of the same issue (choose your favorite cover – order your copy on Amazon.com now).

The articles address the crises that Africa faces, but also delves into the beauty of the continent, covering African music, art and literature.

"As guest editor, I want Africa to appear an adventure, not a burden, and put faces and personalities to the statistics we read elsewhere," Bono said. Click here to read Message 2U, Bono's Editor's Letter.

Vanity Fair will contribute $5 to the Global Fund for every online subscription purchased this month. See how your subscription can impact the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa through the (RED) Impact Calculator. Subscribe now!



SEEING (RED)

(RED) is everywhere within the pages – from (RED) partners' advertisements to the articles and editorial photos. Don't miss the photo of Lulu, a 24-year-old HIV-positive mother who's regained her strength with the help of antiretroviral treatment funded by (RED) money. Lulu appears in Vanity Fair with her daughter Sinetepha (“we have hope”), who is HIV-negative thanks to the kind of mother-to-child transmission prevention efforts that the Global Fund is financing with (RED) money.

Also look for The Lazarus Effect, by Alex Shoumatoff, a story about (RED) money at work in Rwanda, addressing the growing AIDS epidemic and funding the pills that give people living with HIV a new chance at life.

A (RED) ALBUM FOR AFRICA, BY AFRICA

For all you music lovers out there, we have Tracks In The Sand, an iTunes album presented by Vanity Fair and (RED). Inspired by Tracks In The Sand, Tom Freston's article in this month's Vanity Fair about traveling to an African music festival in Timbuktu, (RED) asked Youssou N'Dour to curate Tracks In The Sand, a compilation of 17 of the best recordings by West African artists, including Salif Keita, Ali Farka Touré, Baaba Maal, and Oumou Sangare. 100% of the sales price of the Tracks In The Sand album will be contributed to the Global Fund.

Learn more about Tracks in the Sand now, and we'll let you know as soon as the album is available for purchase!

PARTNE(RED)

In their (RED) Vanity Fair ad, Gap is announcing their new GapKids (PRODUCT) RED line – something you've been writing us to ask for! Converse's (RED) ad features hip hop artist Common, who's also appearing this month in Joss Stone's new music video "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now" for (RED), which you can read about below! In Motorola's (RED) ad, you'll see someone you know holding a RED MOTORAZR and wearing a Gap (PRODUCT) RED t-shirt, while Emporio Armani's ad shows off new items in the Emporio Armani (PRODUCT) RED capsule collection.

JOSS STONE AND COMMON JOIN (RED)

We also have something that's not in Vanity Fair, but music lovers can hit up iTunes again for more (RED). Now on iTunes, preview and purchase Joss Stone's new video "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now," featuring rapper Common. Joss is the first (RED) artist to contribute 100% of her share of the proceeds from each copy of her video sold on iTunes to the Global Fund. Also check out (RED)'s YouTube channel: Joss and Common tell us why they've joined (RED).

Download the video on iTunes now, and then find out how your purchase can impact the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa through the (RED) Impact Calculator.

Message 2U, from Bono

Here's a glimpse into the pages of Vanity Fair, the Africa issue, with a letter from guest editor and (RED) co-founder Bono:

Let me explain what I'm doing here, and there. By "there," I don't mean my day job as singer with Irish postpunk combo U2.

By "there," I mean DATA--the organization which campaigns on debt, aids, and trade in Africa.

By "there," I mean the ONE Campaign--which is becoming like the National Rifle Association in its firepower, but acts in the interests of the world's poor.

By "there," I mean (PRODUCT) RED--which piggybacks the excitement and energy of the commercial world to buy lifesaving AIDS drugs for Africans who cannot afford them.

And by "there," I mean Edun--the missus's clothing line that wants to inject some dignity through doing business with the continent where every street corner boasts an entrepreneur.

These all relate to the same place and the same idea: that Africa is the proving ground for whether or not we really believe in equality.

For example, we are witnessing a general desire and drift toward action on climate change, a very positive thing. But imagine for a moment that 10 million children were going to lose their lives next year due to the earth's overheating. A state of emergency would be declared, and you would be reading about little else. Well, next year, more than 10 million children's lives will be lost unnecessarily to extreme poverty, and you'll hear very little about it. Nearly half will be on the continent of Africa, where HIV/AIDS is killing teachers faster than you can train them and where you can witness entire villages in which the children are the parents. All over the world, countless children will die as a result of mosquito bites, dirty water, and diarrhea. It's not a natural catastrophe--it's a completely avoidable one. Diarrhea may be inconvenient in our house, but it's not a death sentence.

This is happening at a time of great geopolitical unrest. The majority of people in the world no longer idolize Western ideals of justice, freedom, and equality. They don't believe we believe in them. As a student and fan of this great country, America, and the ideas at the heart of it, I think the wider world needs to see a demonstration of those "American" values, through pharmacology, agro-ecology, and technological help for those in extreme circumstances, in their hour of need. These are dangerous times--it's cheaper and smarter to make friends of potential enemies than to defend yourself against them later. Ask the four-star general James L. Jones, former NATO commander and one link in the American chain of command who back in 2002 foresaw difficulties ahead in Iraq.

That's the context for what you could call a "swarm-of-bees strategy": ganging up on these problems from every side.

DATA is an advocacy and policy operation based in Washington, D.C., London, and Berlin and targeting the G-8 capitals.

The ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History is an umbrella group of different NGOs and grassroots activists from across the political spectrum who believe these issues are about justice, not charity. Nearly three million Americans so far have signed up for the ONE Campaign, pledging to help the world's poor. Soccer stars, soccer moms, NGOs and CEOs, punk-rockers and churchgoers--the only places that haven't been active are Main Street, the shopping malls.

So Bobby Shriver--chairman of DATA and a hero on the issue of debt cancellation, who sold an arcane economic issue to congressional members on both sides of the aisle--and I started (PRODUCT) RED, so called because red is the color of emergencies, and that is the only way to describe the aids pandemic. We believed that to ignore the neon and creative force afforded by corporate America would be to ignore the truth about where most Americans live and work. A few years ago I was with the great Robert Rubin, former U.S. Treasury secretary under President Clinton. He said if we are serious about our stuff we will have to improve on two fronts: (1) communicating to America the scale of the problem, and (2) convincing America that the problem can be solved. He added the challenge that we would need the kinds of marketing budgets Nike and Gap have at their disposal.

He was right. Without our corporate partners--American Express, Apple, Emporio Armani, Converse, Gap, and Motorola--we could never afford such bright neon, or the acres of bold billboarding. These companies are heroic (and--shock, horror--we want them to make money for their shareholders because that will make (RED) sustainable). In the project's first nine months, $25 million has gone directly from (RED) partners to the Global Fund, which grants money to health-care organizations around the world to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. That is more than Australia, Switzerland, and China contributed last year.

As you read this--historic--issue of Vanity Fair, the Global Fund is benefiting, but that's not the main reason we kidnapped this publication's extraordinary photographers and storytellers. We needed help in describing the continent of Africa as an opportunity, as an adventure, not a burden. Our habit--and we have to kick it--is to reduce this mesmerizing, entrepreneurial, dynamic continent of 53 diverse countries to a hopeless deathbed of war, disease, and corruption. Binyavanga Wainaina's piece on Kenya is an eye- and mind-opener. From here, what's needed is a leg up, not a handout. Targeted debt cancellation and aid mean 20 million more African kids are in school, 1.3 million Africans are on lifesaving drugs. Amazing.

So now I hope you better understand the "here," i.e., my signing up as guest editor.

Lastly, I've always imagined that if I hadn't been a singer I would have been a journalist. But, in truth, my bandmates saved me from disappointment, as I'm no natural editor. The fact that we have 20 covers for one issue bears testament to that. I am flat out of hyperbole to describe Annie Leibovitz--a devoted mother who set out on a world tour to photograph these cover stars--and inchoate in the company of such a team of wordsmiths and image-makers. And then there's Graydon, a true rock star. (Checklist: mad hair, natty dresser, de rigueur unrepentant smoking, etc. I looked like his manager.) He is the dramatist that we've been looking for. By the way, he tried to change the name of our band to 2U--it was his last defense against my challenge to call this issue Fair Vanity.

--Bono
(RED)