As a leading South African pharmaceutical company Cipla Medpro has always championed the right to affordable, world class health care. At the core of our business lies the fundamental belief that affordable health care is a right, not a luxury.

Each year, one in every 500 children in the developing world is born with a facial deformity. Without the financial resources or access to corrective surgery, these children face myriad problems, from difficulty in eating, ear disease, dental problems and problematic speech development.  In addition, they are subjected to a life of disfigurement, humiliation, ridicule and private pain.

Because we believe it is every child’s right to smile, in 2006 we launched the Cipla Miles for Smiles Foundation, a non-profit organization which raises funds for Operation Smile SA, the local arm of international organization Operation Smile, whose medical volunteers have provided corrective facial surgery for over 100 000 children worldwide since 1982. Having recently become a Diamond Smile sponsor of Operation Smile, all funds raised by the Cipla Miles for Smiles Madagascar Challenge 2008 will be given to OSSA to fund their surgical missions. Operation Smile SA, with its supporters, changes lives, one smile at a time.

David’s project and the efforts of Operation Smile create such a profound impact on the lives of the children involved, that we at RedZebra Mobile™ have decided to tailor our product to meet Miles for Smiles’ specific needs and this is our contribution to this fantastic endeavour. At our first meeting with David, we were all overwhelmed at his boundless energy and incredible generosity and selflessness in what he was doing with his life.
Ultimately there was no way we could not choose to be involved in this project.

We have developed a method of tracking David on his journey and displaying his progress with geotagged pictures, taken by David while on the move and uploaded to RedZebra Mobile. With these images pinned to Google Maps, those of us at home can follow David on his exciting journey every step of the way. For an idea of what this will look like, you can view maps of David’s Chinese and South African challenges here on the site.

As part of our corporate social responsibility, RedZebra Mobile offers their basic service free to all Non-Profit Organisations. For example, Volunteer Wild Fire Services in Cape Town will be using RedZebra Mobile to send pictures directly from the fire line to the Fire Control Centre, from where response is planned and managed. Previously, pictures were taken on a digital camera at the fire line, the memory card removed and delivered by motor vehicle to the centre; now, the information is available immediately.

RedZebra Mobile is a picture management system that allows for the storage of pictures, video, audio and text, sent via GSM or internet, in secure, flexible galleries, which can be accessed from any location by simply making use of a web-browser. Geared for the commercial market and designed for efficiency and ease of use, this is not a just another public picture host or a social networking site, but rather focuses on bringing you a secure, professional product. Offering a straightforward image transfer protocol and a feature-rich service, this versatile business tool can be adapted to fit the needs of any organization with the need for uncomplicated information exchange. With a cost of no more than R99 per user monthly, RedZebra is a cost effective solution to your data management needs, and by utilizing technology that you already possess and by reducing the need for travel, RedZebra Mobile aims to save you time, money and effort.

As RedZebra Mobile grows we hope always to be involved with people like David who have such passion for what they do.

Kaskazi Kayaks

The Kaskazi Skua which David will be paddling is well established as the premium South African touring kayak. Based on feedback from a professional British sea kayaker, the Skua has undergone its third revision in time for the Madagascar Challenge 2010.

Kaskazi Kayaks is a family run business based in Cape Town which has gained international recognition for exclusive hand-crafted sea kayaks and accessories. Untiring innovation and attention to design detail and kayak manufacture, as well as listening to customer needs, has seen Kaskazi grow from being in high demand all over South Africa, to being exported to retailers and agents in Europe, America, New Zealand and Australia.

It is Kaskazi’s reputation for uncompromised performance, quality and reliability that earned the trust necessary for an expedition of this magnitude.

www.kayak.co.za