by Doug Allen
Tim Maly calls attention to a non-profit called ColaLife that is leveraging the popularity of Coke to deliver much-needed medical supplies to remote African villages:
You can buy a Coke pretty much anywhere on Earth. Thanks to a vast network of local suppliers, Coca-Cola has almost completely solved distribution, getting its product into every nook and cranny where commerce reaches. There are places in the world where it’s easier to get a Coke than clean water. In the 1980s, [ColaLife founder Simon] Berry was an aid worker in Zambia, and when he looked at Coke’s success, he saw an opportunity. …
The result of [ColaLife’s] efforts so far is the AidPod, a wedge-shaped container that fits between the necks of bottles in a Coca-Cola crate. For the pilot program, they are using the AidPods to distribute an anti-diarrhea kit, called “Kit Yamoyo” (“Kit of Life”).
The effort is helping local businesses as well:
By working with [Coca-Cola wholesalers], ColaLife gains a connection to locally trusted businesses. “They know about inventory control, security, how to store products properly, and retailers in the district know where they are,” says Berry. “We’ve created a desirable anti-diarrhea kit. We’ve priced it and we’re marketing it at a level where these retailers who deal in other products can make money out of taking it to their villages and selling it.” For the ColaLife operational trial in Zambia, everybody on the ground (wholesalers, distributors and retailers) is making a profit. Recommended retail for the kit is 5,000 kwacha (about $1). Retailers make 35 percent profit, while wholesalers make 20 percent profit.
The Dish 