PSI Headquaters, Dar Es Salaam, November 2008
ColaLife is seen as a cool campaign but we are now moving into a carefully planned implementation phase while continuing to develop and support a vibrant and engaged band of supporters.
Despite our current image, we have already had an impact beyond campaigning. During my visit to Tanzania in November 2008 I managed to squeeze in a meeting with Dr Jane Miller at PSI Tanzania and talked with her about the ColaLife vision. Following our discussions Dr Miller made direct contact with the Coca-Cola bottler in Dar Es Salaam and now condoms are being distributed to clubs and bars. In early 2009 I brokered the partnership between AED and Coca-Cola at the global level and this led to Coca-Cola working with AED in ‘The Learning Lab‘ in Tanzania.
So what does the plan look like moving forward? There are three main strands to the work programme:
- Africa: There are two steps to the work in Africa:
- Local fieldwork and partnership building
- Identification, with the help of Coca-Cola, of a location to trial the ColaLife concept
- Detailed research to identify the partners needed locally and internationally to implement an independently evaluated trial of the ColaLife concept
- Establishing trusted links with these partners and working with them to co-design and cost a plan for the independently evaluated trial
- The implementation of an independently evaluated trial of the ColaLife concept
- Local fieldwork and partnership building
- Worldwide: In parallel with the work in Africa, support the engagement of young people with the ColaLife concept through:
- Support for the establishment of societies in schools and universities (we already have three of these established)
- The linking up of these groups so that they can support each other with ideas and materials
- Funding: Our aspiration is to fulfil an enabling and innovation role and to link up and fund existing organisations to undertake these activities – particularly the work in Africa. So fundraising will be the third thread of activity as we move into ColaLife Phase 2
Dear Simon,
This is splendid. What are the site characteristics that you and coca-cola have in mind for the trial?
Un abrazo,
Magdalena