ColaLife principle: openness
February 10, 2010 by Simon Berry · Leave a Comment
I first had the ColaLife idea in 1988 when I was working for the British Aid programme in NE Zambia. However, I was unable to share it other than by word of mouth and I got nowhere.
In May 2008 I shared the idea on Facebook and look what’s happened. Thousands of people have convened around the idea and discussed it and challenged it and the idea has got better and better. We have gone from this:
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Removing one bottle from every 10 crates and replacing it with a cylinder full of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) to this:
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A wedge-shaped container that uses the un-used space in a crate and carries whatever ’social products’ are needed in a local area, as determined by the local public health experts.
So openness has convened thousands of people around the idea. This has improved the idea, given us more and more confidence in the idea and got Coca-Cola’s attention. We just need some action now!
Giant AidPod looking for places to hang out in London
April 8, 2009 by Simon Berry · 2 Comments
Thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the people at theWorkshop in Sheffield we bring you ‘the biggest ColaLife AidPod in the World’ (as far as we know). This time-lapse video shows how it was constructed.
As soon as Google announce the 100 semi-finalists in their Project 10 to the 100th we will be parading this amazing object through the streets of London to get people to vote for ColaLife. If we don’t get through to the last 100, we will still do it to raise the profile of our campaign.
Between now and the Google announcement it seems a great shame that the giant ColaLife AidPod is hidden away, out of sight. So we are going to bring it down to London and liberate it.
If you work somewhere with a busy reception and want to generate excitement, conversation and show your support for ColaLife at the same time, we would love to lend the giant AidPod to you.
On the other hand, you may be a window dresser on Oxford Street looking to for ‘that extra curious thing’ to raise sales in these difficult times . . . please get in touch.
You can leave a comment or email ‘act at colalife dot org’.
An AidPod Made in Zambia!
March 25, 2009 by Simon Berry · 3 Comments
Image credit: Alison Pearson
This is the first AidPod to be made in Africa (to my knowledge). And it was made in Zambia which is where the ColaLife idea was born way back in 1988. My friend Alison has been volunteering in Zambia for a couple of decades (or more) and currently helps out in the N’gombe Compound in Lusaka. Alison took this photo and here is the story behind it in Alison’s words:
Dear Simon,
Eh, they got a bit excited - there WAS a crate in there somewhere but it was
swamped in the melee!! However the boy is holding a coke and they are
shrieking with laughter so I thought it was a good one.
I got a teacher to explain what you were doing and why we wanted a photo
and they understood very well and were very eager to take part. Not many
of them would have reached their age without facing the death of a sibling
in their own homes so it’s close to their hearts for sure. They are from
N’gombe Compound in Lusaka. I volunteer there mainly raising cash for books
and desks, do a bit of teacher training and workshops etc and I run a feeding
programme for 60 kids two meals per day. I mainly pester friends and
relations and the Wild Geese etc but this year I was very fortunate to get
a little funding from the Catholic Secretariat which took the pressure off a bit.
If you want another pikkie with a crate I can try again.
All the best with the campaign.
Love, Ali
Thanks Ali! You’ve made my day!
How could Coca-Cola possibly say ‘No’?
Myaidpod turns up on the grass in Dundee
March 15, 2009 by Simon Berry · Leave a Comment
Redjotter is the first to post a picture to Flickr of an Aidpod made using the instructions here.
Tagging the picture with ‘myaidpod’ means it’s popped up here.
More thoughts on the ColaLife AidPod design
January 24, 2009 by Simon Berry · 9 Comments
01: ColaLife AidPod with end cap(s) - click on the image to enlarge.
02: ColaLife AidPod (single piece) - click on the image to enlarge.
03: ColaLife AidPod with end lid - click on the image to enlarge.
Your comments please . . . .
What others are saying about ColaLife- ColaLife on Flickr
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