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Dustin Leonard, founder of a new
condom manufacturing company called HERO, wants to help save lives in Africa.
Leonard, a recent graduate of the University of Sydney Business School, plans
to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa and other parts of the developing world by donating
one condom to these areas for every condom sold locally. Leonard explained that
HERO condoms are based on a very simple idea: “Having safe sex in Australia
could save a life in Africa where the HIV/AIDS epidemic has already claimed
millions.”
Leonard plans to begin distributing
free packs of condoms in Botswana later this month. This condom launch will
coincide with the release in Botswana of an HIV/AIDS-related documentary called
“Walk the Talk.” The film—produced by Thinkbox Media at the University of
Sydney Business School and the Norwegian School of Economics—focuses on the
role that HIV-infected people can play in educating their community.
Leonard states that condoms are a
key weapon in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Botswana and other countries in
Africa, but there is a stigma associated with their use as well as myths
associated with the HIV virus. One of his goals is to make condoms acceptable
and readily accessible. He believes that the types of condoms available in
Africa contribute to their unpopularity. To make the product more acceptable,
Leonard intends that every aspect of HERO condoms will be customized to reflect
local preferences, including packaging, foil wraps, size, and thickness.
The company plans to sell
approximately 3.5 million condoms in Australia in its first year and match
those sales with the free distribution of 3.5 million condoms in Africa. The
condoms will be manufactured in Malaysia in an environmentally friendly way
from sustainable and natural materials. HERO is also planning to provide
antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women, to help prevent mother-to-child HIV
transmission. Leonard maintains that “it is possible to succeed in business and
help people,” and that this product will “give Australians a chance to make a
difference and help save a life every time they have safe sex.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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