Raid is owned by SC Johnson, A Family Company at Work for a Better World. A world that is sustainable, transparent, healthy and with more opportunity for all. In keeping with our mission, we have been committed to eradicating malaria in the Sub-Saharan region for more than 20 years: Putting purpose over profit and embodying not just brand values but family values.

Through those years, we invested significant resources in the fight against malaria, including:

• Partnerships with governments

• Donations to NGOs and charities

• Building clinics to improve access to health care

• Introducing low-cost spatial repellents into homes

Although our efforts have helped, we are always searching for what more can be done.

In 2022, our brief was simple: Illuminate the continuing challenges presented by Malaria in Rwanda. It was a communication brief.

However, as we explored campaigns, we uncovered the potential for a more impactful solution.

Raid created a way to turn a woman’s role as caregiver into a paying job, by training and certifying them as official Community Healthcare Workers.

In partnership with the Rwandan Ministry of Health and Society for Family Health-Rwanda, Raid launched Certified Care, a program that empowers women with official certification and supports their ability to obtain paying jobs doing something they’ve spent a lifetime doing for free. Caring for those suffering from malaria.

Certified Care is an ongoing program designed to supplement the knowledge and skills women already have with practical medical training and official accreditation to become Community Healthcare Workers. Thereby cementing them as the front-line defense in detecting and treating malaria at a community level. This accreditation and education unlocks official job opportunities for them from organizations like SC Johnson that rely on local healthcare workers to complete initiatives aimed at eradicating malaria.

In the worldwide fight against malaria, communication most often focuses on how this potentially deadly, yet preventable disease claims the life of a child, under the age of five, every minute.

In addition to this devastating tragedy, another community in Rwanda is disproportionately affected by malaria and drastically under-recognized, under-resourced, and under-valued: women.

Our strategy was to illuminate the negative socio-economic ripple effect that goes beyond the illness, provide recognition, and empower economic stability and mobility for female caregivers, and in doing so, bolster critical resources in the fight against malaria. We believe that women deserve to be recognized and their value to the community rewarded.

Background:

Raid is owned by SC Johnson, A Family Company at Work for a Better World. A world that is sustainable, transparent, healthy and with more opportunity for all.

In keeping with this ethos, we have been committed to eradicating malaria in the Sub-Saharan region for more than 20 years: Elevating purpose over profit and embodying not just brand values, but family values.

Through those years, we invested significant resources to help in the fight against malaria, including:

• Partnerships with governments

• Donations to NGOs / charities

• Building clinics to improve access to health care

• Introducing low-cost spatial repellents into homes

Although our efforts have helped, malaria is still a significant challenge for the region and we are searching for what more can be done.

In 2022, our brief was simple: Illuminate the continuing challenges presented by Malaria in Rwanda. It was a communication brief.

As we explored campaigns, we uncovered the potential for a more impactful solution.

Creative Challenge:

In the worldwide fight against malaria, communication most often focuses on how this deadly disease threatens the lives of children.

However, another community in Rwanda is disproportionately affected by malaria and drastically under-recognized, under-resourced, and under-valued: women.

It’s not uncommon for young girls to be forced to leave school, or for women to give up their careers/jobs to stay home and care for family members suffering from malaria– crippling their ability to earn an income.

They do not resent their roles as frontline caregivers—in fact, they appreciated the opportunity to help their communities. They just don’t want it to come at the expense of their financial mobility.

Moreover, forcing women to choose between economic mobility and caring for others undermines Rwanda’s ability to blunt the effects of malaria.

We set out to address the negative socio-economic ripple effect that goes beyond the disease, provide recognition, and empower economic stability and mobility for female caregivers, and in doing so, bolster critical resources in the fight against malaria and advance our mission, ‘Protection for Everyone.’

Solution: Certified Care

Raid created a way to turn a woman’s role as caregiver into a paying job, by training and certifying them as official Community Healthcare Workers.

Partnering with the Rwandan Ministry of Health and Society for Family Health-Rwanda, Raid launched Certified Care, a program that empowers women with official certification and supports their ability to obtain paying jobs doing something they’ve spent a lifetime doing for free: caring for those suffering from malaria.

Certified Care is designed to supplement the knowledge and skills women already have with practical medical training and official accreditation to become Community Healthcare Workers. Thereby cementing them as the front-line defense in detecting and treating malaria at a community level. This education and accreditation unlocks official job opportunities for them from organizations like SC Johnson that rely on local healthcare workers to complete initiatives aimed at eradicating malaria. Moreover, it gives women the recognition (and pride) they deserve while honoring the care they've been providing for generations.

Partnering with the Society for Family Health Rwanda, SC Johnson created a vocational program that builds upon the experience Rwandan women have gained throughout their lifetime of caring for their own families and communities.

Within the program, experienced Community Healthcare Workers teach these women how to build on their experience to provide basic preventative care, perform blood testing for patient diagnosis, prescribe medication for treatment, and even combat misinformation that puts communities more at risk from this deadly disease.

By creating official certifications and providing government recognition, Certified Care empowers women to deploy their skills to the larger community while building a financially secure future for themselves and their own families. Thousands of women have completed the program and are now certified, with more joining every day in the mission to provide ‘Protection for Everyone’.

Since launching, the Certified Care Program has officially certified over 10,500 Rwandan women.

Together, they have treated over 1 million Rwandans suffering from malaria – with this number growing every day.

In fact, today, 55% of all malaria cases in Rwanda are treated by certified healthcare workers and others like them. This is more than those treated by doctors or nurses in hospitals.

These women, who have missed work to care for their communities for free can now earn an income for their work – helping build careers and break poverty cycles.

Rwanda was just the start. Certified Care is in the process of being expanded across Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania, forming the foundation of the program to eradicate malaria.