About

ColaLife is a campaign to get Coca-Cola to open up its distribution channels in developing countries to save lives, especially children’s lives, by carrying much needed ’social products’ such as oral rehydration salts and high-dose vitamin A tablets. For the latest on the campaign, please visit the blog. ColaLife is an independent and purely voluntary movement backed by thousands of supporters on its Facebook Group. ColaLife is not an organisation.

It was launched by Simon Berry, who had an idea while working on the British Aid programme in 1988:

What about Coca Cola using their distribution channels (which are amazing in developing countries) to distribute rehydration salts? Maybe by dedicating one compartment in every 10 crates as ‘the life saving’ compartment?

Having made no progress with the idea for 20 years, Simon decided to try once more but this time using the convening power of the internet. Since floating the idea on his blog in May 2008, he has managed to create a huge community around the campaign, through a Facebook group and appearances on Radio 4’s iPM programme. He is now in discussions with Coca-Cola and is looking to engage with an international NGO to move the project forward.

The latest progress reports are here.

This 30 second video was produced on 19 October 2008 to support our submission to Google’s Project 10^100 initiative:

Since May 2008 the original idea has been developed further and is now focussed on the ‘aidpod’ concept - a wedge-shaped pod that fits in the unused space between the necks of the bottles in a Coca-Cola crate. Here is a video of unveiling of Mark II of the aidpod design at the ColaLife face to face meeting on 3/3/09.

On Saturday, 27/12/08 the BBC ran a 10 minute update on ColaLife in a ‘best of year’ feature. It includes bits from the original interview in June 2008, an update on progress, the vision from Simon and a clever audio cut from the frontline video filmed in Tanzania. To hear the interview click on the play button below.

Low quality but totally adequate (dial-up connections)

Here is an interview with Jennifer Tracey from the BBC Radio 4’s iPM Programme done at the 2gether08 festival. It is an interview for radio but David Wilcox offered to film it. It is not a polished interview and we had to pause half way through because of slamming doors in the background!

But Simon can’t do all this alone. An email group has been formed for those that want to be more involved, and this site created to help spread the message even further. If you have anything to offer the campaign, please do get involved.

>> Our full aims and objectives