Articles

• August, 2006 - Totaloe at Zambian Trade Show -
   
• July 17, 2006 - Launching Aluwe KENYA -
   
• May 9, 2006 - Times of Zambia Totaloe News report -
   
• May 2006 - News Release -
   
• Nov 2005 - Aluwe International Team in Zambia,
   
• Sep 2005 - Aluwe Research Results in Zambia
   
• Sep 2005 - Aluwe Team meets First Lady of Zambia
   
• Sep 2005 - (OD) At Work in Zambia
   

TotAloe: Solution for Auto-Immune Disorders
Special Edition: Zambian 80th Agricultural and Commercial Show, August 2006.

By Sheila Nakazwe and Mark Sikapizye.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has taken a very heavy toll on all facets of the Zambian life as over 16 percent of the Zambian population is estimated to be living with the HIV virus.

It is for this reason that any brand of Nutritional supplement that is claimed to improve the clinical outcome of Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) is worth taking seriously.

Recently the Tropical Diseases Research Centre (TDRC) carried out research on claims made on specific nutritional Supplementation. One particular supplement that was claimed to improve significantly the quality of life of patients on ARV's is called TotAloe.

TotAloe is a product manufactured from one of the best medically gifted Aloe Vera species known as Aloe Barbadensis. Solids extracted from the Aloe Vera plant undergo purification leaving only the active ingredients, therefore, preserving the full range of beneficial nutrients found in the native plant.

The benefit from the Aloe Barbadensis depends on soil nutrients, climate and how the leaves are processed after harvesting thus making it different from all other aloe species.

This Nutritional Supplement is superior to most Aloe Vera products because it is specially processed through a patented formula called the Total Process Aloe (TPA), this process is highly technical and results in a 99.9 percent pure herbal product.

TotAloe contains the largest percentage of polysaccharides, which then modulate the immune system thereby raising the portion of the cell that fight off infections such as common flues, cancer, TB, Diabetes and the HIV virus. It also repairs the cell to cell communication process that enables the body defence system to detect foreign substances. Therefore, the HIV virus that was able to enter and destroy these cells gets expelled such that it can no longer reproduce at will and starts getting flushed out of the body.

This process allows the body to reorganise its defence system resulting in the rise of the CD4 cell count, reduction of the CD8 count, steady reconstruction of the body starts enabling it to fight diseases on its own.

Because of the ever increasing number of people living with the HIV/AIDS, most people on ARV's will benefit greatly as TotAloe is compatible with all medicines and helps to detoxicate the body by clearing out side effects of the ARVs.

In order to substantiate the claims, TDRC in Ndola enrolled about 12 patients on a study aimed at determining the impact of TotAloe on haematological, biochemical and immunological markers in patients on ARV's on monthly basis for three months. It also aimed at assessing any changes in the general condition of the patients on ARVs and taking TotAloe in terms of body weight, occurrences of opportunistic infection conditions such as oral thrush, diarrhoea and body rashes over a period of three months.

The 12 participants who had been on ARV's for an average period of 12 months, presented their physical complaints that were meant to be analysed by the doctor and were issued with a monthly supply of the nutritional supplement TotAloe.

From the conducted study the doctor made observations at one-month intervals for three months, that the general condition of the patients improved resulting in increased body weight, increased CD4 level count and resumption of normal life with n o recorded deaths. The study also revealed that there were no known side effects of TotAloe such as body rashes, headache, vomiting, nausea, loss of sleep and loss of appetite in all the study patients.

TDRC concluded from the study that TotAloe seems to work synergistically with ARVs in improving the well being and immunological status of a patient, therefore because of the dramatic improvement observed in the patients, it is most possible that even on its own TotAloe could be an immune booster enough to function as effective as ARVs in patients who may not want to be on ARVs or patients above 200 CD4 cell count.

TotAloe seemed to improve significantly the clinical well being of the majority of the patients over a short period and therefore such a nutritional supplement hold the hope of saving and prolonging life as was observed from three patients who were able to resume work just after being on TotAloe-ARV's combination for only two months despite having been on ARVs alone for a good number of months.

It has also been found that TotAloe being a nutritional supplement can be taken by anyone for purposes of modulating their immune system.

Aluwe International is an international Company licensed to manufacture pharmaceutical products such as Herbal medicines and allied substances. The company has five products namely Perfect Aloe, B-Lean, Germslayer, Oraloe and a signature product being TotAloe.

The company is headquartered in Minnesota in the United States of America and was established in 2001 however, it commenced operations in Zambia, in February 2006 as Aluwe International LLC Zambia after the issuance of a license by the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority to import its pharmaceutical products.

The Company is represented in Malawi, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Aluwe International LLC Zambia has a corporate value statement to help people, decisions made are based on saving lives and ensuring people are healthy and productive, otherwise there would be no reason to be in business.

Aluwe International LLC Zambia realises that no one is being spared by the AIDS pandemic and feels the introduction of TotAloe would greatly benefit the individuals and the nation as a whole.

With the introduction of TotAloe on the local market, the government and the corporate world would enjoy reduced costs from training and maintaining staff, as they would lose less to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and individuals diagnosed HIV positive but with CD4 counts of above 200 could take TotAloe instead of going on ARVs immediately.

The Company is run by a strong and qualified team, which is headed by the Chief Executive officer also being the director for Africa division. Among the challenges faced by Aluwe while in Zambia has been to sensitize the Zambian community about the benefits of TotAloe especially to the health sector of the economy.

However, these challenges can be met by the availability of information to all sectors moreover with the fact that the staff of Aluwe International LLC Zambia take pleasure in offering formal and informal health talks on the benefits of using TotAloe to Companies, NGOs, Societies and individuals at their convenience.

The Author is Public Relations officer for Aluwe International LLC Zambia. MM

ALUWE KENYA
Chiromo Courts,Westlands
P.O BOX 17658 – 00100
NAIROBI, Kenya
+254 (020) 476 5 960
kenya@aluwe.com
rachel@aluwe.com (Managing Director)

We launched our distribution network in Kenya during the first two weeks of July 2006 with an incredible team that brought great skills and passion. Each person had something unique to contribute and it took only three days to effectively launch a new business.

The start up of the meeting was on Thursday, July 6th at a luncheon in downtown Nairobi. Not being entirely clear but excited about the invitation, a group of 21 showed up for lunch and then stayed for a 2.5 hour session lead by Aluwe International CEO, Kent Hann. Kent covered Aluwe's value statement and then products and medical impacts of Aluwe. The meeting ended with a lively question and answer period and everyone was engaged in seeking to learn more.

On Friday, July 7th, the group of 15 convened at Lake Navaisha about 2 hours north of Nairobi to work on the development of the Aluwe Kenya strategic plan. What happened next surprised and delighted everyone!

Taking off her hat as President of Aluwe and becoming her alter ego of President of her management consulting firm, Quantum Change Associates, Kristine Quade started the group with immediate interaction, developing piece by piece the plan that would be the Aluwe Kenya strategic plan. Each unit of work built on what had just preceded until the plan came together. Below you will find the final outcomes.

We are proud to present Aluwe Kenya ...!

OUR PURPOSE:

We are a Christian based company that improves health and quality of life through herbal and natural products.

This value statement says who we are and will also be the key criteria for decisions as we go through our evolution.

OUR TARGET MARKET:

The team stated: "We know that TotAloe will reverse the CD4 cell count of AIDS patients. We also know that pharmaceutical companies have done a lot of work educating both the medical community and the public at large to believe that in order to survive with AIDS, a patient must go on anti-retro virals (ARV's). We believe there is a more prudent approach.

If we can reach the patient before their CD4 cell count drops below 200, we will be able to keep the patient from a forced necessary use of ARV's. We can also use TotAloe in conjunction with ARV's to improve the patient's quality of life."

Deciding that the pharmaceutical approach was already entrenched, the team chose to work through the herbal community. The products and their purpose were identified as:

• Perfect Aloe - for the topical treatment of skin ailments, such as blemishes, cuts, bites, rashes, burns and lesions
• Germ Slayer - for use in stopping viruses and bacteria, specifically in malaria.
• TotAloe - for immune system solutions, specifically with the HIV
• OrAloe - for health issues within the mouth and gums.

Once the decision was made on products and their target market, the price was set for distribution and the team was able to turn their attention to the inner workings of the company.

STRUCTURE:

For the next 30 days Duncan has taken a leave of absence from his 4th year dental school studies in Uganda and will act as the Managing Director of Aluwe Kenya.

Rachel has assumed the responsibilities of Office Manager. When Duncan returns to Uganda, Rachael will assume the responsibilities of Managing Director.

Several teams were formed:

1. Core Team: Rachael, Ruth, Stephen, Duncan, Benard, Josiah, Evan, Rev Paul, Pastor David, Agnes, Mary, Jeff, Toro and Jackie, who will act as the group to provide guidance and help with actions. This team will meet monthly for operational updates and quarterly for strategic purposes. Each person has specific operational actions to accomplish. Additional people will be invited to join the team to enhance their success.
   
2. Research Team and Development: Toro, Jackie, Evan, Benard and Rev. Paul are responsible for establishing a research clinic in Kenya. Getting formal approvals quickly, the team believes they can begin treatment of about 200 patients in September 2006. This clinic will act as a magnifier of market operations in Kenya.
   
3. Marketing and Advertising: Benard, Rachael and Duncan will be working on a new and creative concept for advertising the products. In addition, the primary avenues of awareness are through herbal stores, Christian churches, and private companies. Market penetration of NGOs, pharmacies and governments will follow after the primary market is established.

   
   

OTHER DECISIONS:

• The team formulated a two-month budget that included:
  1. Securing a facility from which to operate that would be in the suburbs of Nairobi, making it easily accessible to both employees and clients.
  2. Making the facility fully functional with phones, utilities, security etc.
  3. Set the advertising budget for printed copy, special targeted approaches, and direct church contacts.
  4. Established temporary salaries for the Managing Director, Office Manager and receptionist.
     
  5. Established a budget for 4 full-time sales reps plus benefits and a budget for part time sales personnel.
  
  
• The Office Manager will keep the team apprised of the status of budget against expenses over the next two months and the Core Team will meet in September to develop a more comprehensive budget that can be sustainable by the business.
• In December, 2006, the Core Team will meet again at Lake Navaisha to develop the next phase in the strategic plan.
  
• A sales target for two months was established and the team committed to get sales moving immediately.
  
• Each person practiced making multiple presentations about the products.
  
• Rachael's first official decision was to hire Josiah as the receptionist for Aluwe Kenya. He will be bringing his financial mind and excitement to our offices.
  
• Each person shared a commitment to the team and specific actions that they were willing to take to ensure the success of Aluwe Kenya

All this in two days--but wait--there is more!

On Monday July 10 and Tuesday, July 11, the teams went out actively making things happen and met for dinner on Tuesday night with Kent and Kristine to update everyone:

1. WE were able to sign the documents for opening a business in Kenya, secure a checking account, register the company name, and open a Federal Express account.

2. Computers were purchased!

3. Business cards were designed and ordered

4. E-mail addresses were established as Kenya@Aluwe.com and Rachael@Aluwe.com.

5. The Research Team knocked our socks off: They have learned which one governmental entity is the key to issuing final approval for the study, secured copies of the study application requirements and assigned duties for each step, enlisted a research sponsor who will act as the project lead, are establishing a clinical budget, established a time-table from which to operate, and has a strong working knowledge of the protocol. This team is excited about the progress they had made in 2 days and even more excited about future steps.

All of this occurred in a period of five days. To move from zero to a fully functioning company in that short of time is nothing less than spectacular. The choice of market penetration was an example of the creativity of the group. Looking at the old path as one that would be a major challenge, the team chose to carve a new path--one that was more synchronistic with their high level of energy and keen desire to be successful. This will be a team to watch and be an example for many to follow.

We wish Aluwe Kenya great success and look forward to posting your stories on the Aluwe International website!

THE PERSONAL STUFF:
by Kristine Quade,  President, Aluwe LLC

I don’t know what happened in Kenya but I do know there was a divine intervention. Somewhere in time—way back when, people started to get to know each other while attending University in Uganda. As they formed strong friendships, they bonded in a way they could not have imagined. God was weaving a tapestry that only He knew about and people were being led toward something magical.

There are some key things that made this project come together:

1. This team had a deep belief in the power of prayer. This common bond created instant trust, no territorialism, open debate, and genuine respect for the over-arching work of the team.
2. This team was able to ebb and flow. Information would come in, they would make decisions, they would begin to act, more information would come in that would challenge the direction, they would talk, make new decisions and move back out—all within a matter of hours—not days, or months! This was the most amazing example of a high performing team that this writer has ever seen!
3. There was an incredible amount of business knowledge within the team. Some had more experience than others, but there was a clear understanding that to row this boat, it would take synchronicity by all and the rhythm was established early for sharing knowledge, helping each other, listening to what the team was saying and making decisions based on best knowledge available!
4. The team used some basic business models (McKenzie 7 S and SWOT) to get started and check their work but they never became constraints to the decisions that were being made.
5. The group knows they have taken on a huge project and they now look back on the initial connections from Uganda and can see the reason for their coming together. They are excited, scared, challenged, hopeful, and united!

I have the deepest respect for the Aluwe Kenya team. They became a team faster than any I have ever experienced. They walked into tough issues and resolved them with ease and style. They had fun and laughed with open abandon. They challenged each other to do better. They did not rest but kept working even when exhausted (and well into high tea!). They pushed themselves beyond every expectation and accomplished more, faster, and more creatively than any group I have ever worked with.

This was a blessed professional experience for me. I raise my glass in toast to the best!

By Sheila Nakazwe -- Times of Zambia, May 9, 2006

If you are not infected, you are affected, so it is said of the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Zambia, like other members of the global community, has not been spared the ravages of the HIV/AIDS scourge.

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on all facets of the Zambian life as over 16 per cent of the Zambian population is estimated to be living with the HIV virus.

Over the years, renowned researchers and scientists the world over have been investigating a possible cure for HIV/AIDS but so far their efforts have yielded little success much to the desperation and anxiety of mankind.

The closest scientists have come in this regard is the development of drugs that can slow down the progression of the virus to full blown AIDS.

The drugs referred to as Anti-Retrovirals (ARVs), have so far proved effective, at least in as far as suppressing the viral load and replication, reversing the immune deficiency and increasing the CD4 count thereby improving and prolonging the life of the infected individual.

The ARVs aside, research has also shown that nutritional supplementation is key to suppressing HIV/AIDS viral replication and prolonging the life of an infected person.

Several studies have demonstrated that ARVs alone, without nutritional supplementation, cannot give desirable results in the care and survival of an HIV/AIDS patient.

In appreciation of the above fact, several nutritional supplementation products are being introduced on the local and international market to improve the clinical outcome of the ARVs.

One such product that recently attracted the attention of the Tropical Disease Research Centre (TDRC) in Ndola, is TotAloe which is extracted from a native plant in Mexico known as Aloe Vera.

The plant also found in some parts of Zambia and is commonly known as ?Itembusha? in Bemba.

TotAloe is a nutritional supplement manufactured by Aluwe International, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in the US with representation in South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Singapore, India and Zambia.

It is claimed that this product is the most powerful immune system modulator that is being used by doctors to support individuals with symptoms of immune deficiency disorders.

TotAloe is made from a new state-of-the art process known as Total Process Aloe, which method extracts up to four times more aloe solids than whole leaf processing, and therefore preserves the full range of beneficial nutrients found in the native plant.

This nutritional supplementation raises the portion of the cell that fights off flu, cancer and the HIV/AIDS virus.

It contains natural ingredients such as galactose, Xylose, glucose, N-acetyl glucosamine, mannose, n-acetyl galactosamne and n-acetyl neuramic acid important in the repair of the cell to cell communication system thereby enabling cells to recognise and eject foreign and dangerous substances in the body.

As a result, the HIV virus which may have entered to destroy these cells gets stranded, impotent, and is subsequently flushed out of the body.

This allows the body to re-organise its defence system culminating in the rise of the CD4 cell count, reduction in the CD8 count and steady reconstruction of the body starts enabling it to start fighting diseases on its own.

TotAloe helps many other diseases like Asthma, Diabetes, Arthritis, Gaut and other auto-immune diseases, according to Aluwe International Zambia executive director Dennis Chifunishe.

"There are no known side effects to TotAloe so far, said Mr Chifunishe.

Mr Chifunishe says the combination of ARVs and TotAloe seemed to improve significantly the clinical well being of the majority of the patients over a short period of time.

He said the observation was more pronounced in three patients who resumed work just after being on TotAloe and ARVs for three months.

And one of the beneficiaries who sought anonymity said she had been on ARVs for 12 months and after the inclusion of TotAloe on the medication, her CD4 level increased within a short time resulting in improved general condition of her body.

"My business had gone down due to ill-health but within three months of being on the ToAloe nutritional supplementation, my CD4 level rose from 180 cells to 233 cells, and I was able to revive my business,? she said.

Mr Chifunishe explained that people living with the HIV/AIDS virus would benefit greatly because ToAloe is completely herbal and natural.

It is compatible with all medicines and it helps de-toxicate the body thus clears the side effects of the ARVs.

He added that the product is an immune booster which has been approved by the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority.

TotAloe is currently sold in a number of leading chemists in Lusaka among them Cairo Chemist, Jubilee Chemist, Medicare Chemist, Chumps Pharmacy and Atom Diagnostic centre.

TotAloe seems to work synergistically with ARVs in improving the clinical well being and immnunological status of a patient.

Because of the dramatic improvement observed in the patients, it is most possible that even on its own, TotAloe could be an immune booster to function as effective as ARVs in patients who may not want to be on ARVs.

Immune boosters such as TotAloe hold the hope of saving and prolonging life while a cure for HIV/AIDS is awaited some day.-ZANIS

[Times of Zambia]

We have received our first significant order for Totaloe from Africa. The order for 3,500 bottles has been received, processed, produced and shipped with arrival in our distributor's warehouse by 15-May-2006. This order is originated from the private sector. The second order for an additional 3,500 bottles is being produced and will arrive in Lusaka, Zambia prior to the end of May, 2006. Congratulations to all who have worked so hard for this event.

R. Kent Hann, CEO

ALUWE TEAM MEETS FIRST LADY OF ZAMBIA

His Excellency, Mr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, President of Zambia, and the First Lady, Mrs. Maureen Mwanawasa were in New York Sept 13-20th for the 2005 World Summit, at the United Nations Headquarters — the largest gathering of world leaders in history.

The work of the First Lady is to focus on AIDS eradication and she has two strategic objectives. The first is through the African First Ladies for the 37 African Nations who have signed a Framework of Action to combat AIDS on the continent. As the symbolic mothers of Africa, the First Ladies represent 770 million people living on the continent gripped by the AIDS pandemic. They recognize the future of their continent depends on the health of its children.

Within her country, the First Lady has established the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI) with the goal to see the standards of living of the Zambian underprivileged family uplifted. She personally ensures that the community owns the projects undertaken by her organization and focuses on economic empowerment, health care, education, social welfare and water and sanitation.

Several years ago, my husband (Kent Hann) and I started a small nutraceutical company. We did not know where we were going but we had a lot of faith that we could grow the business. We chose to use OD values while forming and running the company. The first was to surround ourselves with like-valued people who would bring different points of view and thus we chose two other partners and formed our Board based on open communications and dealing with challenges directly.

Second, we, as a Board wrote our values statement: “help people and have fun doing it”. Our products would help people physically and our investment principles would help people financially. We are not spring chickens and starting a company at our age not only had to be fun but we had to work with people who wanted to have fun. We understood the OD principle (The Change Leaders Roadmap, Ackerman Anderson) that if the values are identified first and are used to drive the mission, vision and strategy, there would be alignment in decisions and the company would flourish as a result.

Every decision we have since made flows through our value statement first, then we make decisions. We’ve had opportunities to purchase other companies, buy rights to other products, involve employees, or sell distribution rights but most did not match our value statement and the decision to not acquire proved to be a brilliant in hindsight! I think there is a book emerging about that process that could be titled: “Lessons Learned on the Way to an IPO”, but that will come much later in this life-story.

Our Board developed a financial strategy that would involve people who would not generally have an opportunity to participate in a new company with incredible growth potential. These of course are harder funds to raise than the $M venture capitalist route but we knew that this was an opportunity for the “forgotten little people” to acquire wealth in a way that was not generally available (helping people). Our investors understood they were in for the long haul and their investment would pay off when we reached a strong sales position that permitted us to either sell the company or go through the process of an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

We have experienced numerous “out of the blue” connections. While I was presenting at an OD conference in Monterrey, Mexico, Kent and I were introduced to a former OD student who turned out to be an amazing chemist. He had been sent to the MSOD program by his mom to gain more social skills! We formed a partnership with him to enhance our existing product line and to develop additional products. By using our values, the decision to partner with him proved a great decision in hindsight.

Two years ago, our signature product started be used by physicians who were treating patients with autoimmune diseases like Fibromyalgia, Crohn’s, Lupus, Asthma, etc. A physician in Florida ordered our product to test with HIV/AIDS patients. Based on his subsequent clinical results, we had to make a really serious strategic decision.

We chose to move all production and shipping out of the United States, and to make our web site benign by deleting any references to what our product accomplished. In the U.S., if you make a claim that a product will “cure” a disease, the FDA has the right to close down your business while the claim is investigated. We knew that our product would be a direct challenge to the enormous amount of profit being made by the pharmaceutical industry on ARV’s (anti-retrovirals). We also knew that the Pharma industry could ask the FDA to investigate claims being made by others. While investigations of claims could be a short process, a company would be literally shut down during the investigation and could lose all customers, sales, and or marketing advantages in a very short period of time. We did not want to take that risk.

While developing our OUS partnerships, we started to look at where we could have the greatest impact on AIDS and started with contacts we had in Zimbabwe (a small nation in southern Africa). After a two-week trip and lots of work with our local representative, we decided that the financial health of that country would not support the level of healing that we wished to provide. However, people we trusted opened the door for contacts in neighboring Zambia.

We have learned a lot about doing business in Sub-Saharan African. There is the concept called “African time” which is relationship based and is unrelated to a clock or calendar. If someone schedules a meeting and something comes up relating to family, the meeting is not kept, the time is at best postponed and no one sees a need to even notify the other party the meeting is not going to happen. This played out over and over as our Zambian representatives would schedule meetings and then discover that the person was “called away to go to a funeral” or “had to leave the country” Doors opened. Doors shut. We would get excited about an upcoming connection and it would get rescheduled for two weeks later. We would start making progress and the person we were working with would be called away for a month.

After 8 frustrating months two things came together. The first was a 3-month study conducted by the Tropical Disease Research Center (TDRC), an official entity formed by the World Health Organization. The study results were astounding. Patients who had been on ARV’s, added our product to their regimen and regained their health, were able to eat, sores went away, and they returned to work feeling like they had been given a new opportunity in life. With the TDRC study, we were able to show the credibility of our product and we had phenomenal testimonials by people who had been bedridden, deserted by the families, left to die and were all now fully functioning. (That could be another book: Lessons in Social Recrimination: A Perspective from an AIDS Victim.)

The second hurdle was getting Pharmaceutical Registration Authority (PRA), the equivalent of our FDA, approval to bring our product into the country as a medicine. This process took over 6 months. We would file paper work, be told it was under review, that the Authority would be holding their meeting “next week”. This was our most impactful experience with “African Time”. The process finally moved when the President Mwanawasa of Zambia (at our urging) asked the PRA how many applications were sitting on the PRA desk awaiting action. Having to provide the answer of 600 provided the final impetus for our product to be approved, along with many of others.

It is now September, 2005 and our product has become available to be purchased using global donor funds and administered as an AIDS product. We are proud that our product works better and is cheaper that ARV’s and that we, the little company, will be standing in front of the giants with an approach that will turn the tide of the pandemic infecting 40 million Africans. We have a strong distributor in Zambia who is respected and ethical. His goal is to make the product available to his people for free (using global donor funds) and to maximize the impacts by working through agencies that also educate about AIDS. He is politically connected so that governmental agencies are ordering for their employees. He has connections with commercial organizations such as mines, banks, and the teachers union who are ordering for their employees and families, and the First Lady has adopted our product as the preferred method for healing the children of Zambia.

During the next three months (Oct-Dec), we will be traveling to Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and India creating a completely new and different distribution model (that fits with the values of our company). We will not be staff heavy. We will produce and ship JIT (just in time). We want to make sure that our product is being made available to the maximum amount of people, using global funds (which means free to the patient). Our aim is to control the pandemic that is reducing the GDP output by up to 50% in all of sub-Saharan Africa. There is much left to do, such as overcoming the cultural stigma associated with AIDS, lack of education about the disease, access to clinic facilities and testing. We have plans in place for all of these issues.

So, how does this all fit with OD? Have you ever thought of what would happen to a third world country, or continent, if the people were healthy? What kind of a contribution would healthy people begin to make to the world economy? How would the concept of sustainability shift? What would happen if people went to weddings instead of funerals? What would happen if children were raised by their parents instead of in an orphanage. What would happen if children were strong, healthy, and going to school to learn how to be the future participants in the economy of their country? What would happen if people returned to work and the economies shifted once again to self reliance?

We know there are huge issues that face us, as a company, over the next year. One will be production of our product in the quantity needed as the demand increases at rapid rates. Another will be in ensuring the infrastructures are in place as we do our part in healing the disease. The most taxing will be in making sure that we are able to stand up to the battle waged against us by the pharmaceutical companies as we start to take money out of world donor funds that they had planed for purchase of ARV’s. And of course, there will be the issue of dealing with the publicity that this effort will surely generate.

We will be posting our progress….and we invite you to join us in our journey of the heart to help the mind, body and spirit of those impacted by this terrible disease.