In winter 2009, FACE AIDS mobilized students around the Hope Phones campaign, an innovative effort to strengthen the ability of community health workers to see patients and transmit their medical information back to clinics.
Specifically, chapters led collection drives for old cell phones, chargers, and other electronics. These old phones were then sent to Hope Phones, a partner non-profit which recycles the phones and uses the value paid by the recycling center to buy new, locally procured cell phones for community health workers at rural medical clinics. The average donated phone in the U.S. allows Hope Phones to purchase 2 - 3 cell phones for community health workers. The community health workers use these cell phones to record patient information and transmit it back to clinics via SMS (text message). This information is then stored at the clinic, forming an electronic medical record. In rural areas, patients often live many miles from clinics and from one another. Using cell phones to relay vital information between patients and clinics enables community health workers to see more patients in a shorter period of time, cuts down on unnecessary transport costs, and thus saves more lives.
Watch this video to learn more about Hope Phones and its founder:
Get Involved! You can join the Hope Phones Campaign at any time of the year! Here's how:
1. Visit the Hope Phones website and order collection materials. You will be sent a free collection box, poster, shipping box, and prepaid shipping labels — everything you need to start a collection drive. The shipping labels you will be sent are unique to you so that the phones you donate can be tracked. Because of this, it is very important that you put "FACE AIDS" on the collection materials order form under "Your Organization / Business Name."
2. Start collecting! Place your boxes and posters around campus and in your community. Send emails, put up flyers and posters, get the word out. Make sure everyone knows exactly where they can go to donate their phones.
3. Using your unique shipping labels, send in your phones so they can be recycled and new phones purchased for community health workers!
Still have questions? Visit Hope Phones' Frequently Asked Questions page, or email us at info [at] faceaids.org.