Check Out Who We Spotted In (CONVERSE) RED

It’s none other than Maria Shriver, California first lady and friend of (RED). She’s sporting her (RED) Converse’s while teaming up with first Lady Michelle Obama to volunteer last week at a San Francisco elementary school as part of President Obama’s United We Serve plan. And for other influential women of (RED) don’t miss Converse’s new Women in (RED) series which currently features 1HUND(RED) artist Amy Ruppel. Keep up the good work ladies!

Happy Birthday to Grandmothers and Grandsons

At (RED) we love birthdays. It’s a time when the work that you all do in supporting (RED) really hits home. Because of you and your purchases of (PRODUCT) RED, we’ve been able to get life-sustaining antiretroviral (ARV) therapy on the ground in Africa to people living with HIV, People who, thanks to funds contributed by (RED) initiatives, are celebrating their birthdays this month.

Little Katleho from Lesotho is seven this month. His mom, Caroline, is HIV-positive and every year around this time she stops to think about how Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission treatment (PMTCT) helped her give birth to her healthy and beautiful son. She was pregnant with Katleho when she learnt that she was HIV positive and was able to access PMTCT antiretroviral therapy.

It’s hard to believe looking at this beautiful photo of the two of them below that one of them is HIV positive and one is not. But that’s the power of the PMTCT treatment which your (RED) money helps finance in Lesotho, Swaziland, Rwanda and Ghana.

Caroline and her healthy son Katleho

From little boys to grandmothers: “This Thing” in Ghana turns 55 later this month. She goes by the nickname “This Thing” because stigma is quite a problem for many people living with HIV in Ghana. This lively and spritely HIV positive grandmother began taking antiretroviral therapy four year ago.

“This Thing” chuckled when she told me: “I’m strong, I can do anything a man can do”.

And she does work hard. “This Thing” is typical of many grandmothers in Africa as she plays a vital role not only in helping support her immediate family but also by helping to care for her daughter’s children so her daughter can work and earn some money as well. In fact, thanks to ARV’s which (RED) helps finance in Ghana, “This Thing” is just like any grandmother in her village.

Happy Birthday to everyone who has a birthday this month.

Greta

An Inspiring Visit To Korle Bu HIV Clinic In Ghana

This has been my first trip to Africa. And it is one I will never forget.

On the trip, we visited Korle Bu HIV clinic in Accra, Ghana, one of the largest hospitals in Africa with one of the busiest HIV clinics in the country. Dr. Addo, the head of the National AIDS Control Program, took us on a tour of the Fevers Unit, the Chest Clinic and the laboratory and pharmacy. The Fevers Unit is where they treat all of their HIV patients – there are over 10,000 registered patients. It is called the Fevers Unit because before HIV existed this was where they treated tropical diseases. Today, it operates almost 100% to support and care for HIV patients. We met the nurses and technicians who have endless spirit and are some of the most inspiring women and men I’ve met. Their dedication to their patients and their firsthand telling of the miracle of antiretroviral medicine (ARVs) is incredible to hear first hand.

The (RED) Global Fund HIV/AIDS grant in Ghana currently provides a significant portion of the financing for antiretroviral therapy nationally. They are doing so many impressive things to eliminate AIDS in Ghana. They are working hard on decreasing prevalence rates, on increasing the number of babies born HIV-free, and on providing treatment so that people can live with HIV rather than dying from AIDS.

We had the privilege of speaking with one of the HIV positive patients at Korle Bu who is currently receiving ARVs. He spoke of his experience going on the ARVs and the stigma attached to being HIV positive. In Ghana there is a tremendous amount of stigma towards people with HIV. But they are working to change this. The hospital has seen great success with a “Know Your Status” campaign that is being supported in the local communities by the staff at Korle Bu. One week a month they go out to the local communities to encourage testing so people can know their status and either receive the treatment they need or know that they are healthy and take precautions in their daily life. The patient we met is feeling good thanks to ARVs and has the support of his wife and family. By taking the ARVs he has a chance at living a long, healthy life.

Today I came away with an overwhelming sense of hope. There is a lot of work still to be done in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Ghana but the continued contributions for the Global Fund and Dr Addo’s work from the sale of (RED) products are helping Ghana’s efforts in that fight. It’s a powerful thought – that the purchase of an (Apple) RED iPod in Tokyo or a pair of (Converse) RED sneakers in the U.S. can contribute in this way.

Jen @ (RED)

Visiting HIV Clinics in Ghana

After an incredibly educational trip to Ethiopia, we have finally made our way to one of the four countries that (RED) money is working in - Ghana. Boy, it’s HOT here!

Today we’re planning on visiting facilities that are funded by the Global Fund and supported by (RED) – I’m really looking forward to seeing our (RED) money at work. (RED) money goes directly to The Global Fund which invests it in HIV/AIDS programs on the ground in Africa. We’re very proud of the fact that the every cent of the donation that any of our (PRODUCT) RED partners such as Apple or Gap sends to the Global Fund from the sale of a (RED) product gets to Africa –no overhead is taken out.

We are on our way to see two hospitals where we will learn more about HIV testing, counseling, and ARV treatment. One of the hospitals focuses on prevention of mother to child transmission and hopefully we will get to meet some of the mothers and their infants who have successfully completed the transmission treatment. More than 70,000 HIV positive pregnant women have received preventative antiretroviral therapy to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission due to support from funds from the Global Fund and (RED) so this will mean a lot to us.

Our trip so far has been amazing. We have met so many people here that are affected by a variety of challenges and yet still stay so strong, determined and hopeful in the face of their adversity. Meeting them has been my favorite part so far. We’ll be reporting back later on today’s visits.

Molly @ (RED)

Listening and Learning in Africa

We just wanted to share some photos of a school we visited in Ethiopia today. Even with the strain of limited resources Ethiopia is making strides to increase their student enrollment. In fact in sub-Saharan Africa the proportion of primary school age children enrolled in school increased from 56% in 1999 to 70% in 2006 – the fastest increase of any region. Thanks in large part to debt relief and development assistance that’s an increase of 34 million children in primary school between 1999 and 2006. In Ethiopia alone, the Minister of Education told us that they have put 15 million additional children in school in the last 16 years.

Who's the Daddy?

It’s Father’s Day on June 21st in most countries around the world. Many of us here at (RED) will be spending our Father's Day returning from this week's trip to Africa. As we interact with other fathers a continent away from our own, we'll undoubtedly be thinking of our own dads and how important they are in our lives. Important? Yes. In style? Not always! (RED) has a few gift ideas that can help in both style tips and more importantly, in helping other dads and their families in Africa.

Coffee Break

A look at day two from our delegation traveling through Ethiopia and Ghana.

What was one of today’s great highlights? Efficiency, energy and entrepreneurialism harnessed around Ethiopia’s oldest product: coffee. For someone that treasures their morning latte, it was truly an inspirational lesson.

Ethiopian’s take their coffee seriously, which is not surprising given that it contributes 60% of their export earnings (valued at $525 million) and employs 15 million farmers.

Our first briefing was at the Coffee Cooperative, an efficient model of scalable enterprise that provides farmers with a platform to sell their coffee. Over the last decade, this cooperative has successfully grown in size and scale.

Our next stop was the “Coffee Plant and Warehouse Enterprise,” a plant that processes over 600 metric tons of coffee per year. We were immediately captivated by the “Stacking and Storage Plant,” the spot where the Cooperative coffee first arrives from various farms. The delivery team of 150 unload the bags from the truck and run with lightning speed—with the 85 kilo bag on their head—to their next teammate, who stacks the unsorted coffee bags on a trolley and runs even faster to deposit the bags into the sorting area. Next, four durable machines sort the beans by grade, depositing them into the “sorting room.” Here, 200 women hand sort the beans, the sound of their peaceful efficiency in stark contrast to the high-pitched hum of the earlier machines. Finally, the sorted coffee is stored until the order is fulfilled and sent to the port of Djibouti.

And why the speed of the runners, who deliver 85 kilo bags with great hollering and cheering during an eight hour day? Load balancing of the four processing machines ensures consistency of operation. Now that’s a stimulant!

This energetic plant employs approximately 1000 people – 380 contractors, 400 women and 150 delivery men. Plum jobs are the permanent employees – paid over one dollar per day, with eligibility for an annual bonus, limited healthcare and the opportunity to benefit from the sale of the “by product husks.” Temporary workers are paid 50 cents a day, with a three month contract.

Our last stop of the day was a true inspiration. The Ethiopia Coffee Exchange (ECX), founded by Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, opened in April 2008. The ECX, an open outcry system, now trades 100% of Ethiopia’s coffee, plus a portion of other grains. This is Africa’s first electronic commodity exchange: a model of trust, transparency and integrity. Now that’s inspiring entrepreneurialism!

-Juliet Flint

Visiting the Mother-to-Mother Program

Our first on-the-ground post from our delegation traveling through Ethiopia and Ghana.

Yesterday we spent time at the Mother-to-Mother program at Adama Referral Hospital in Ethiopia. The hospital is a comprehensive HIV/AIDS service site, currently providing over 12,000 people with HIV care and more than 7,300 people with antiretroviral therapy.

The Mother-to-Mother program offers support groups for expectant mothers who are newly diagnosed with HIV. Mothers already living with HIV gather with expectant mothers recently diagnosed with HIV to mentor, educate and listen to each other.

Visiting with the mothers at the Mother-to-Mother program was a rare opportunity for an intimate discussion. We were able to speak on a personal level with mothers suffering from HIV, but these women didn’t speak of suffering. They spoke of surviving. They were gathered together to support one another through the experience of having a child while being HIV positive. I was moved by their stories and their perseverance. They were attending support groups twice a week, working to be strong mothers to their children and helping to spread the word about HIV prevention. As our discussion ended, one woman asked that we not forget them. My memory is strong. It was a true honor.

-Kathleen Biden

UPDATED: Here’s Maggie Williams on her visit to the Mother-to-Mother program

And here is Senator John Sununu on the Mother-to-Mother program

(RED)NIGHTS this week

Thanks to all of you who were with us to kick off the (RED)NIGHTS concert series last Friday night with The Veronicas in New Orleans. It was a great show! If you missed it, relive some of the fun by looking up #rednights on Twitter. Or simply follow us @joinred and hear us tweeporting live from the shows.

This week is packed with even more amazing concerts that save lives. There's Matisyahu tonight in LA, Santigold in Dallas on Wednesday (6/17) and Lisa Hannigan in NYC on Friday (6/19). And the hope is for (RED)NIGHTS to live on beyond the nights of the incredible shows. We like to think of it as a digital road trip and for those that are going to the shows, we'd like your help in sharing your (RED)NIGHTS with others.

So if you’re attending one of the shows this week here’s what you can do to help spread (RED)NIGHTS:

- Tweet about #rednights and #name of the band
- Upload your show photos to Flickr and be sure to tag them with REDNIGHTS and the name of the band
- Upload your show videos to YouTube and be sure to them with REDNIGHTS and the name of the band

We’ll soon be getting all this great content op on the site at www.joinred.com/rednights. It’s coming soon!

Enjoy the show.

Angela @ (RED)

Good Morning Ethiopia!

Hi. This morning, I looked out at a sight I’ve never seen before—early light coming over the hills of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A few of us on the (RED) team are lucky enough to be on a learning tip with our colleagues at ONE and a diverse group of policy leaders. We are in Ethiopia because—while it is not a (RED) country—Ethiopian Health Minister Tedros is using innovative practices to get care, including HIV testing and treatment, to the people who need it most.

By the way, all of Addis seems to be under construction—which makes sense because “Addis” means “new!”

We started the day driving out into the countryside to see how HIV care is administered there. After some hectic stop and start traffic, the road opened onto a beautiful valley. Out first stop was a ten-room Health Center where the locals can go to get basic services, including antiretroviral treatment. Every morning, more than 200 people line up to get their medicine. This is not a hospital but, on average, two babies are born here every day. The best part is that everyone gets tested, they know how to protect babies from getting HIV during childbirth, and all the ARVs are free.

Next, we went to a more rural area in Nazrat where Ethiopia’s innovative health extension worker program is at work. We met one of the 30,000 new health extension workers—she is 20 years old and responsible for the health of everyone in her village. (Don’t know about you but I would not have been ready for that at 20.) She was amazing—seeing patients in a three room “Health Post” in the morning and doing house calls in the afternoon.

On the way out, a couple invited us to their village to see their new bed net being hung. This simple net will help to prevent them getting Malaria when the rains come next week. The whole village was full of kids—many of them wearing home-made Obama t-shirts that say “Yes We Can” n English and “God Follow You” in Amharic.

We ended the day at a hospital in Adama where we met doctors focused on helping HIV+ women give birth to HIV-free infants. We met with a support group run by African mothers on ARVs called “Mother to Mother.” They live in extremely poor circumstances but despite this they offered us coffee and popcorn and told us their stories.

The organizer told us through a translator that when she found out she had HIV, she left her home in fear and lived in the bush for days until she was exhausted. That was nine years ago—we have come a long way since then. Here we were, surrounded by beautiful HIV+ women and their HIV- free children. The medicine works.

A member of our group asked the translator if there was anything the women wanted to ask or tell us. The youngest member in the group spoke immediately. Our eyes moved to the translator but for a few moments he did not speak. “Please don’t forget that we are here.”

It was a day we will never forget.

Colin @ (RED)

A Continent on the Move: Listening and Learning in Africa

(RED) and our sister organization, ONE, are bringing a diverse delegation of influential policy and business leaders to Ethiopia and Ghana this week to see how strong African leadership and smart donor investments are helping people in Africa fight their way out of poverty. We feel so privileged to be making this trip.

We’ll be exploring a wide spectrum of issues and we will have the good fortune to hear from a variety of people in an effort to learn which policies and investments are achieving results, what programs and approaches are not working and what more is needed.

We will be visiting health, agriculture, education and trade projects and we’ll be meeting with government leaders, program implementers, entrepreneurs, intellectuals as well as people who are directly impacted by the work that we do. In Ghana, we will spotlight how contributions from the sale of (RED) products and the power of (RED) consumer action are helping to provide lifesaving treatment to thousands of people who are HIV positive. It’s because of the conscious choice you are making to buy (RED) that we have been able to generate more than $130 million to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Thank you.

We’re so looking forward to the trip and to bringing our experiences to both (RED) and ONE supporters. We will be blogging and tweeting on the trip and look forward to sharing the journey with you.

The (RED) Team

The (RED) Zones at U2's 360° Tour

As you may have read, U2 have allocated a (RED) Zone VIP area at every show throughout their upcoming 360° Tour. These premium location tickets were auctioned when the tickets went on sale with net proceeds helping the Global Fund and (RED)’s work to fight AIDS in Africa. We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of you who lent their support and who successfully bid on these (RED) Zone tickets.

“(RED)’s contribution to the Global Fund in just three years is over $130 million. This is not only helping hundreds of thousands of people in Rwanda, Swaziland, Ghana and Lesotho where the money is at work on the ground but (RED), through its partners’ marketing efforts is also having a tremendous impact on public awareness of the HIV pandemic in Africa. We are honoured to have both the crucial support of the money flowing in, and the vote of confidence in the Global Fund’s way of providing aid.”

Professor Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria

(RED) Attends the KIN Global Conference at the Kellogg School of Management

Last week I participated in KIN Global – a conference hosted by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University just outside Chicago. It was a three-day gathering of about 200 people from around the world who came together to discuss one topic – the importance of innovation in building global prosperity.

A wide range of people joined the discussion and it was wonderful to hear so many viewpoints. From Admiral James G. Stavridis, Commander of the United States Southern Command who discussed the importance of public/private partnerships in creating prosperity in South America, to Kimmie Weeks, Executive Director of Youth Action International a non-profit working to rebuild war torn African communities, and John Simon, the former ambassador to the African Union, the discussions and insights were fascinating.

Admiral James G. Stavridis

The topic was broad and the discussion fierce. Ideas flowed freely – some that may work, others that may not – yet what was as important was the ability to exchange these ideas with people from around the world, across many different disciplines

I walked away both excited and hopeful for where we are headed as a global society. There is a growing tide taking us in a direction where corporations will realize that doing good means doing good both financially and socially; where addressing the needs of the bottom billion means also engaging these individuals in the process and creating prosperity along the way; where military ‘strength’ takes on new meaning and creates economic opportunity as a way to head off the need for violent conflict; and where we recognize that our natural resources, when managed correctly, are core to sustainable economic growth and security.

Most importantly, the time I spent here reminded me how important these conversations and debates are. Taking time to surface new ideas, stretch our thinking and find ways to take action on new opportunities is always an invigorating experience. Thank you to all who attended that helped provide new ideas for (RED) and who are off taking action on many of the new ideas from the week.

To find out more about the conference and the Kellogg Innovation Network visit http://www.kinglobal.org/

Susan, CEO, (RED)

Win VIP Tickets to (RED)NIGHTS on Facebook and Twitter This Week

This week, we’ll be giving away pairs of special VIP tickets to a few of the upcoming (RED)NIGHTS concerts – The Veronicas, Matisyahu, Santigold and Lisa Hannigan. It’s our VIP Sweepstakes where you can win tickets to a great show, and also have a chance to hangout with the band. (RED)NIGHTS is a concert series that saves lives. 26 incredible shows in the US to raise money and awareness about AIDS in Africa, a preventable and treatable disease.

Starting on Tuesday, June 2nd and running through this Friday, June 5th, we’ll be giving away these special VIP tickets on Facebook and Twitter to the following US-based shows:

• The Veronicas at the House of Blues in New Orleans on June 12th
• Matisyahu at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on June 16th
• Santigold at the House of Blues in Dallas on June 18th
• Lisa Hannigan at the Gramercy Theater in NYC on June 19th

How to enter:

The Sweepstakes are taking place on Facebook and Twitter only so you’ll need to Fan us or Follow us to participate.

On Twitter

1. Starting on Tuesday 2nd through Friday 5th, we’ll be giving away a pair of VIP tickets to a (RED)NIGHTS show daily. Here's the schedule - on Tuesday it's The Veronicas, Wednesday we're giving away Matisyahu, on Thursday Santigold and Friday is Lisa Hannigan.
2. Each day we’ll let you know what tickets we’ll be giving away on that day. You’ll have until 11:59 PST on that day to enter to win.
3. To enter, make sure you are a follower of @joinred and then simply send us an @reply or just RT with the message for the day (it’ll be different each day). We’ll select a winner who'll get a pair of tickets from all the @reply Tweets and Re-Tweets we receive from the time we announce up until 11:59pm PST on that day.
   

On Facebook

1. Starting today, we’ll announce a special event on Facebook for each of the 4 upcoming (RED)NIGHTS shows.
2. You’ll need to be a Fan of (RED). Then simply RSVP to the (RED)NIGHTS event you’d be interested in attending. You’ll have until 11:59pm PST on Friday, June 5th to submit your RSVP.
3. Each lucky winner receives a pair of VIP tickets from all the Fans who RSVP ‘YES’ to the specific (RED)NIGHTS events.

What you need to know…the rules:

• You’ll need to be a (RED) fan on Facebook or following us on Twitter (or both if you’d like to double your chances)
• Winners receive a pair of VIP tickets that provide access to the show and a chance to meet the band.
• No transportation or travel arrangements are being provided – it’s just the tickets and the good times at the show.
• To be eligible you need to live in the US city or surrounding areas where the show is playing and you need to be a certain age:
• New York show: 16 years old or over and live in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk or Westchester in New York State; Bergen County, New Jersey; or Fairfield County, Connecticut.
• Los Angeles show: 13+ and live in City of Los Angeles or the following California counties: Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside or Orange
• Dallas show: 13+ and live in City of Dallas or the following Texan counties: Ellis, Johnson, Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Rockwall or Kaufman.
• New Orleans show: 13+ and live in City of New Orleans or the following Louisiana counties: Saint Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson or Saint Tammany
  
• Once named, winners need to fill in an eligibility confirmation and release form before receiving the tickets.
• Check out the Sweepstakes Rules for Twitter and for Facebook for full details. By entering you are accepting the Sweepstakes Rules.
  

And if you happen to win…

If you are that special someone who wins, we’ll send you a Direct Message on Twitter to let you know or message you on Facebook. We'd love to show up at your door with cameras and all but Ed McMahon wasn’t available.

So, that’s it in a nutshell. Be sure to check out the Sweepstakes rules for Facebook and Twitter - by entering you are accepting the 'Sweepstakes Rules.'

Good luck. And please help us spread the word.

Facebook

Twitter

(RED)NIGHTS

Official sweepstakes rules: Twitter and Facebook