Scarlett Johansson, actress and activist returns this week from her first trip to Rwanda with (RED), the initiative to engage business and consumer power in the fight against AIDS in Africa. During her four day stay, the actress visited projects and people who benefit from the flow of (RED) funds via the Global Fund into Rwanda to help tackle the AIDS and HIV pandemic there. Scarlett has supported (RED) since its launch in 2006.

“It was important for me to come here and understand the issue we’re up against firsthand. It’s not until you’ve had the privilege of meeting healthcare providers who are fighting the daily battle, heard from people who are now getting antiretroviral drugs to stay alive, and met mothers whose babies are born healthy because they received treatment that stopped transmission of HIV, that you understand that we absolutely can do something to reverse the AIDS crisis in African countries.” commented Scarlett. “I came here with an open mind, wanting to listen, understand and learn; I leave with the overwhelming understanding that the small action of making a (RED) choice in your purchases in the West has an enormous impact on the lives of people in countries like Rwanda.”

The results of such projects are evident in the statistics – 5% of Rwanda’s 9 million population was HIV positive in 2003, and in 2007 this rate is down to 3%*.

It has been over 2 years since (RED) funds began flowing into Global Fund projects in Rwanda, with over $22 million into the country so far. The power of (RED) consumer action has helped provide antiretroviral therapy for HIV and AIDS to over 17,000 patients, and reached over 408,000 pregnant women with counseling and services to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

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Thanks to Louise Bury for the following information regarding a new auction of Scarlett’s:

Here at handbag.com we are working on a campaign with Cancer Research UK called handbag amnesty. The aim of this project is help raise money to fight breast cancer. In order to do this we are asking a number of celebrities to donate a handbag that we can auction off.

All bags donated to the Handbag Amnesty will be auctioned on eBay from Friday 3rd – Sunday 12th of October to tie in with Breast Cancer Awareness month. Open to everyone, all proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK, the largest single funder of research into breast cancer, one of the most common cancers in the UK.

We a have a host of celebrities involved both here in the UK and from America, including a signed handbag from Scarlett.

Thanks to Elena Bush of First Book for passing on information about a fun campaign Scarlett is participating in – “What Book Got You Hooked?” (www.firstbook.org/whatbook) – a book lovers’ campaign from First Book that will bring thousands of new books to kids in need.

Now through September 15, readers everywhere are invited to share the first book that made reading fun for them and then help get more kids hooked by voting for the state to receive 50,000 new books for low-income youth.

Please click here to read Scarlett’s quote about the book that got her hooked, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”, and learn more about this project.