Coca Cola is a worldwide commodity.  Even in countries where drinkable water is scarce, you can buy a Coke.  Now Coca Cola is engaged in the Cola Life Campaign project looking at ways to save the lives of millions of children in Africa. 

The Cola Life Campaign is working with Coca Cola to investigate ways that Coca Cola’s distribution system can be used to help save lives and improve communities.  Salvatore Gabola, Global Director Stakeholder Relations at Coca-Cola, met with Simon Berry, the founder of the Cola Life Campaign to discuss ideas.  Since the distribution chain is not directly owned by Coca Cola, involvement by other groups such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be necessary. 

Although the bottling companies help with training and start up capital, Coca Cola is distributed through a number of small independent local businesses.  So the issue becomes, how to work with these small businesses to distribute life saving items such as rehydration salts while maintaining profitability.

Simon, posted the following to  his blog illustrating how the Coca Cola distribution system could be used.

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?

Ironically enough, Annie Lennox echoed a similar sentiment on May 16, 2008 on Desert Island Discs.

We can distribute Coca Cola all around the World but we can’t seem to get medication to save a child from something as simple as diarrhoea and I think that that is wrong. You know, you have a choice you either get involved with an issue or you walk away from it. I think it’s a human rights issue and I feel very passionately about human rights.

Adrian Ristow has begun research in Tanzania and Ethiopia on Coca Cola distribution channels on behalf of the company and in partnership with the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and International Finance Corporation in an effort to study ways to create more jobs and wealth.  Another focus will be on training and skills needs, all of which will be useful in developing study trials for Cola Life’s distribution idea. 

However, before Cola life can begin study trials, an NGO partner needs to be found.  So far, Oxfam and WaterAid have shown little interest in forming a partnership.  A WaterAid study has shown that oral rehydration salts are (ORS) the least cost effective means of saving children’s lives primarily because so few people actually know what to do with them or how to use them. 

Simon’s idea is to include packets of ORS in the crates with the Coke products like toys are included in McDonalds Happy Meals.  Include instructions with the ORS and people’s awareness and knowledge will grow.

Part of the Cola Life Campaign is to raise awareness of the issue and to get information out where it will do the most good.  Coca Cola’s willingness to work with Cola Life is helping to do just that.

Coca Cola already works through the Africa Foundation to bring safe drinking water to local communities through out the continent.  The company has also worked to improve sanitation, which is one of the best ways of improving the life expectancy of children.

As a player in the Cola Life Campaign, Coca Cola is continuing to work towards improving the lives of children in Africa.

More information on the Cola Life Campaign can be found on Facebook, Simon’s Blog, and the Cola Life Google Group.

When I was growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, drinking Coca Cola products was considered to be patriotic.  Coca Cola was a large contributor to the schools I attended from high school through law school.

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 4:31 pm under Blogosphere, Green Technology, Internet, Social Media.

Read more entries by Susan Wilson.
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