Designing Hope - Dessine l`Espoir

Commitments
Designing Hope was created in April 2003. It’s mission as
an NGO is to support people affected by HIV and AIDS
and excluded throughout the world and especially in
southern Africa.
Designing Hope develops cultural and social bridges
promoting education and awareness and fighting against
exclusion and stigma.
Thanks to the collaboration of reknown artists and
international figures, Designing Hope has been developing
awareness campaigns adapted to regional needs and
targeted populations.
Since 2003, Designing Hope also gathered more than
100 of the most talented designers, stylists and fashion
designers from the international scene to conceive objects
to be hand-made within support groups of patients
affected by exclusion. The distribution of these items in
Europe generates incomes locally and also contributes to
the funding of the NGO.
www.designinghope.org
Art,
Fighting Stigma
In 2005, Designing Hope started an international campaign fighting HIV
and AIDS related stigma and discrimination named “I Love You Positive or
Negative”.
In Europe and Africa, this universal message was signed and interpreted
by various personalities (Artists, Sports icons, TV presenters). They
helped Designing Hope spread this message of love, understanding and
support to various targeted populations:
Special campaigns targeting youngsters have been developed with the
City hall of Paris and in South Africa. These messages were broadcasted
by 2 national television networks, as well as printed on posters distributed
in several regions.
Artists for life
With the support of Unesco, and it’s Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/
AIDS Prevention Education Cristina Owen-Jones, Designing Hope has
mobilized more than 100 contemorary international artists in order to
support the campaign “I Love You Positive or Negative”.
In southern Africa, reproductions of the artwork have been used
regularly in support groups of HIV affected patients and during outreach
campaigns in rural area to raise the subject of stigma, and start
discussions.
Some have been reproduced on posters and condom packs
distributed throughout South Africa and Swaziland.
Mobilized contemporary artists Elodie Lachaud, Armin Pflanz, Guy du Toit
Promoting condoms
Designing Hope further developed the campaign «I Love You Positive
or Negative» through a condom promotion and distribution campaign.
In France, a booklet of 24 condoms, named “One Month Of Love” was
launched in 2006, and campaigns were also initiated in collaboration
with the city of Paris and involving also French stylist Agnes b.
Condoms were packed in innovatively designed boxes, combining
artworks, awareness messages and famous signatures.
This program was then started in Southern Africa and Swaziland, were
the context and needs are different:
Designing Hope collaborates with the ministry of Health for the supply
of quality condoms.
Visuals and messages are selected with the local beneficiaries of the
project and printed locally on the condom covers
Condoms are packed in dispensers by support groups members,
who get a subsential food voucher, supporting their family, as a
remuneration for their voluntary contribution. They are also involved in
choosing the location where these condoms will be distributed, either
in townships or rural areas.
More than 2 million condoms have been distributed between 2006 and
2010, and this number is growing, as the project is being developed
on new sites.
In 2008, a similar program targeting HIV positive teenagers was started
in Constanta.
The adolescents were also involved in the creation of messages and
visuals used on the condom packs.
Local
Supportive Actions for Youngsters
Since it was funded in 2003, Designing Hope has been mainly
supporting women in Southern Africa.
There are two main reasons for this choice: On the one hand,
Southern Africa has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world.
On the other hand, women have become the first victims of stigma
due to the antenatal testing that they have to do and that reveal their
status.
Supporting these women also means supporting their children, as
they often are rejected by their husbands, with dependant children.
The situation of these women is getting worse, as the high death
rate raises the number of orphans in their extended families.
Many of the support group members experience this situation and
suddenly having nephews and cousins to raise in addition to their
own children.
In 2010, Designing Hope has developed new programs in South
Africa and Swaziland to support youngsters affected by the
pandemic.
Designing Hope has built and sponsored Half Way Houses which
offers a warm and secure environment for vulnerable children,
mostly to orphans. They receive a meal before and after school
hours as well as tutorship and entertainment in the afternoon. This
program also includes supplying uniforms and scholarships which
cover school fees for the more disadvantaged. This program is
developped both in South Africa and Swaziland.
A Major Project in Swaziland
Designing Hope has developed a major and multiform
program in Piggs Peak’s region, Swaziland.
Nutritional support
In 2004, Designing Hope initiated a project of free meal
service for all patients coming for testing or being under
antiretroviral treatments at Piggs Peak town hospital. HIV+
support group members have been appointed by Designing
Hope 5 times a week to prepare and distribute an avaraged
100 cold meals a day.
This boosts the patients’ energy after their trip to the
hospital and assists them during their hours of waiting. It
plays an essential role in patients adherence to treatments,
in a context where poverty, walking long distances, stigma
and lack of support from family and community members
often discourage them from coming to the hospital.
Awareness & support group activities
Designing Hope has been operating with outreach
programs organized by the Red Cross in rural areas,
including awareness campaigns, condom distribution,
public plays and talks, counseling and testing with mobile
testing units.
Designing Hope also opened a center for the town support
group Philani, including a meeting room and workshop
involving 50 patients in miscellaneous income activities, and
a community garden that provides fresh vegetables to the
support group members.
Generating Activities
Activities play a major role in the psychological reconstruction of
HIV support groups members after they discover their status. This
income helps them to face precarious social situations.
It also changes their community members’ appreciation of
themselves, as they are not considered desparate individuals any
longer.
They become successful and have a new place in society.
Designing Hope collaborates with Ithemba, specializing in sociallyoriented design, in order to create items that can be hand-made
within support groups in Africa. Distribution of these items build a
precious and long-term link between the European public and the
local beneficiaries of Designing Hope’s projects in Africa. It also
contributes financially to the funding of the local actions of the NGO
through a significant donation per item sold. www.ithemba.fr
More than 80 designers have been
supporting Designing Hope since 2003:
Acne, Agnès b.,Alber Elbaz pour Lanvin,
Alek Wek, Alexandre Matthieu, Anne-Valérie Hash,
Arne&Carlos, Atsuro Tayama, Beatrice Caracciolo,
Cacharel, Calvin Klein, Chantal Thomass,
Christian Lacroix, Courrèges, E2, Elvis Pompillo,
Emanuel Ungaro, Eymeric François, Franck Sorbier,
Gianfranco Ferrè, Han Feng, Hugo Boss,
Inès de la Fressange, Irina Volkonskii,
Designing Hope
Since 2003, « Fashion Designing Hope » mobilizes international
fashion designers to develop sustainable income generating activities
that support the women who are involved: Lightbulbs are handdecorated with beads, wire and silicone in Cape Town, lampshades
embroided in Swaziland, mirrors decorated with beads in Kwazulu
Natal, and flowers created in beads and wire in Johannesburg,
according to the designers’ drawings. Depending on projects,
creations are either unique pieces auctioned during special events
or sold during exhibitions, or small editions distributed through a
network of shops and department stores with a donation per item for
the NGO.
Women involved have developed impressive skills which have been
acknowledged by the designers themselves, sometimes leading to
introduction of their work in their designs, and fashion shows.
Isabel Marant, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jean-Paul Knott, John Galliano,
Joy de Rohant-Chabot, Karine Arabian, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Cole, Kris van Assche, Lolita Lempicka,
Loulou de la Falaise, Marcel Marongiu, Marco de Vincenzo, Mario Queiroz,
Marithé & François Girbaud, Martin Margiela, Martine Sitbon, Maurizio Galante, Michel Klein, Missoni,
Nanette Lepore, Nathalie Garçon, Odette Bombardier, Olivier Theyskens pour Rochas, Ove H Finseth,
Ozwald Boateng pour Givenchy, Paul Smith, Paule Ka, Paco Rabanne, Peter Loechter, Pierre Balmain,
Pierre Cardin, Nina Ricci, Ron Orb, Stella Cadente, Serge Bensimon, Sissi Holleis, So Hee, Sonia Rykiel,
Stephen Burrows, Stéphane Saunier, Stoned Cherrie, Thierry Colson, Thierry Mugler, Tom van Lingen,
Victoire de Castellane pour Dior Joaillerie, Viktor&Rolf, Unarmed Response, Vivienne Westwood,
Wenche Lyche, Wunderkind, Xuly Bët, Stefano Pilati pour Yves Saint Laurent, ...,
Designing Hope is very
gratefull for its patron
Cristina Owen-Jones,
Goodwill Ambassador
for HIV/AIDS Prevention
Education at UNESCO.
UNESCO has been
supporting Designing
Hope since 2005.
Ngiyabonga
Ngiyabonga means «Thank You» in Zulu.
This word finds its full meaning when it acknowledges this
exceptional network of solidarity, commitment and generosity
that helped Designing Hope weave this precious network
since it was created in 2003.
This word appeal to the designers and artists, who thanks
to their sketch, drawing, message, concept or unique
creation have enriched our awareness campaigns and have
developed resources for communities and individuals victims
of exclusion.
This word appeal to all international personalities who carried
our messages, to all media who relayed them, and to all
institutional and private donors who contributed to sustain
our actions.
This word appeal to all those who brought their know-how,
their competence to assist us from all parts of the world, to
the local coordinators who committed themselves on the
ground, and to thousands of people who contributed at their
own level to financing the NGO’s programs.
Designing Hope’s Faces of
Hope
Support group members from
Swaziland and South-Africa
photographed by Armin Pflanz.
Women’s hats were handmade
by local semstresses, with
fabrics donated by JC de
Castelbajac, Cacharel, Lanvin,
Paule Ka and Paul Smith.
The NGO’s bridges encourage artists to support development through their creativity and have
brought its progams closer to the «2010 International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures»
celebrated by the UN.
Dessine l’Espoir - Designing Hope
67 av Daumesnil
75 012 Paris - France
(+33) 1 43 46 79 18
[email protected]
Drawings from J.C de Castelbajac, Maurizio Galante, JP Gaultier, Giacomoni, Hanky Panky, Lanvin, Paul Smith, Franck Sorbier, Viktor & Rolf
2010