Ethiopia Drone Network
October 2023 - Current
Ethiopia’s first long-range drone network has completed a 30-day project delivering medical items, including 6936 vaccine doses in 44 total flights to 6 hard-to-reach communities. The first two deliveries in the network took place on Friday, October 20th, 2023, and included vaccines against tuberculosis, poliovirus, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib, and hepatitis B. These deliveries carried enough vaccines to supply these target locations for one month and marks a significant step in improving healthcare delivery in Ethiopia's most remote regions.
Australian drone company Swoop Aero's automated, remote piloted aircraft Kite can fly up to 120 kilometers with a 3 kg payload before requiring a battery swap. To reach the most remote clinics, a battery swap location has been established midway, extending the network's reach to 240 kilometers from the distribution hub. The drone flies pre-planned routes that have been mapped to avoid obstacles such as mountains, power lines, and buildings. Kite, takes-off and lands vertically, allowing for two-way delivery providing the ability to speed diagnostic samples from hard-to-reach communities to central labs.
The 30-day project was funded by Red Lightning and operated by Freight in Time and the Information Network Security Agency (INSA). Drone logistics is the latest phase in a multi-year initiative to bring supply chain innovation to the last mile delivery of healthcare items in the region. The Global Fund, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Service (EPSS) and Freight in Time (FiT) formed a private-public partnership in 2020 aimed to reduce missed vaccinations, target at-risk-zero-dose children and eliminate medical item stockouts at the local level. The UPS Foundation and GAVI have provided the financial support for this PPP since 2022 and have generously committed an additional US$1 million to continue this support through 2024.
Read the full story!
Maui, Hawaii
August 2023 - Current
The Maui wildfires devastated the island starting August 8th, 2023. The fires hit the town of Lahaina hardest, reducing much of the town to ruins and causing over 100 fatalities. This marked one of the world's deadliest wildfires, with nearly 3,000 structures damaged or destroyed.
Red Lightning deployed a team to assess the needs, identifying internet connectivity as a prominent challenge. In a swift response, we procured and deployed 100 Starlink units to effectively address this concern. Internet connectivity allows family members to communicate their safety, file for unemployment, pay bills, and other life-altering tasks.
Turkey
April - May 2023
On February 6th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, resulting in over 58,000 deaths, 130,000 injuries, and the displacement of 3 million people.
In response, Red Lightning deployed a team member to Turkey to assist Water Mission in providing fresh water to those displaced by the disaster. The team also trained local staff on leadership and project management to ensure long-term success in recovery efforts.
Women’s Clinic in Eswatini
January - Current
With support from The UPS Foundation, Red Lightning delivered a semi-permanent shipping container to one of The Luke Commission's mobile clinics in Eswatini, where 33% of the population is HIV positive. Inside, they conduct life-saving cervical cancer screenings and HIV detection and treatment, seeing 250-400 patients daily.
Zithromax Delivery Ethiopia
January 2021 - Current
Zithromax is an antibiotic used to treat Trachoma, a bacterial infection that is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide.
In collaboration with The UPS Foundation, Pfizer, and the International Trachoma Initiative, we are forecasted to deliver 39 million Zithromax doses by the end of the year.
COVID-19 Response
July 2021 - Current
Red Lightning was asked work with local governments across Africa to map current supply chains, assess readiness gaps, and design operating plans to ensure the successful distribution of this life-saving vaccine. In addition to many virtual meetings, we traveled to Malawi, Zambia, Cameroon, Mauritania, and Ethiopia to come alongside local government officials to share best practices and create localized project plans.
We leveraged Subject Matter Experts such as UPS Healthcare supply chain engineers, and even a retired Vice President from Pfizer, John O’Sullivan, to find the best solution for each population. We also built an ultra cold training course that has been completed by 900 people in 10 countries. Our friends at The UPS Foundation provided gift in kind transportation, portable ultra cold freezers and vaccine carrying cases, and even used drones for last mile deliveries.
To date, we have been able to help these countries successfully deliver 36 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The UPS Foundation designed and funded a program to advance vaccine equity in low-income countries. The requirement to move Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses at -60 ֯ C to -80 ֯ C posed a significant challenge in many of these countries that don’t have ultra cold freezers or dry ice manufacturing capabilities. Long distances and hard to access towns and villages added to the complexity.
The Big Island, Hawaii
May 2018
The Big Island, Hawaii - Red Lightning served as a volunteer for 2 weeks with the Salvation Army supporting a feeding kitchen for 300 displaced residents.
Puerto Rico
October - December 2017
Red Lightning served as the Operations Chief for the Salvation Army EDS team in Puerto Rico, planning and executing FEMA-supported distributions following Hurricane Maria. The organization was responsible for overseeing the logistics, safety, navigation, and on-site training of over 125 volunteers in Puerto Rico. In addition, Red Lightning coordinated efforts with more than a dozen other aid organizations to ensure an effective and collaborative response.
US Virgin Islands
September - October 2017
Red Lightning deployed to St. Thomas with the Salvation Army to provide hot meal support to the community and manage distributions across St. John, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. The organization worked to ensure that essential resources were delivered efficiently to those in need throughout the region.
Sindhupalchok, Nepal
May - June 2015
Only two weeks after returning from Vanuatu, Red Lightning deployed again with the Salvation Army team to Nepal following a devastating earthquake. The team was informed of eight remote villages high in the Himalayan Mountains that were not receiving aid. Red Lightning members, along with two Sherpas, hiked to assess the villages. During the journey, the team arranged for the medical evacuation of three victims suffering from injuries using a satellite phone. The evacuation was carried out in partnership with a local medical hospital and Samaritan’s Purse.
The Salvation Army team provided many thousands of tarps and significant food supplies to the villages, much of which was delivered by helicopter to these areas over many months. Funds raised by Red Lightning went directly to purchasing solar chargers, which allowed for the coordination with locals who had lost electricity, but still had cell service. Additional funds were also used, again in partnership with the Salvation Army, to move a crippled man to a local hospital to receive the medical attention he needed.
Vanuatu
March - April 2015
Red Lightning deployed with the Salvation Army to Vanuatu, flying from Port Vila to the island of Tanna, and then hiking for several hours to reach three remote villages whose natural spring water supply pipeline had been destroyed by a recent cyclone. Many of the villagers were drinking brackish water, a mixture of fresh and seawater. Collaborating with a water specialist from Samaritan’s Purse, the team secured and transported 5 kilometers of flexible water tubing, with assistance from the French Military. Shortly thereafter, they successfully restored the fresh mountain water supply to over 1,000 villagers. In recognition of the team's efforts, Red Lightning's founder was honored with a Chief’s Staff, a bow and arrow, and a promise of a plot of land if they ever chose to retire in Vanuatu.
Philippines
November - December 2015
Red Lightning partnered with the Salvation Army and previous collaborators for a second mission in Tacloban, helping deliver food to those displaced by Typhoon Yolanda. The organization raised $27,000, all of which went directly towards purchasing and delivering food supplies, working closely with the Salvation Army and local LDS Churches. Following this deployment, Red Lightning's team officially trained with the Salvation Army for International Disaster Aid Services, further strengthening their capacity to respond to global crises.
Sendai Japan
March - April 2011
Red Lightning deployed to Sendai, Japan, partnering with the Meysen English School to assist in distributing goods donated by Samaritan’s Purse, Meysen School, and direct contributions from supporters. During this mission, Red Lightning began experimenting with real-time disaster aid information systems, which eventually led to the creation of the Red Lightning App, designed to enhance coordination and efficiency in delivering aid during future disaster responses.
Haiti
February 2010
Shortly after the devastating earthquake near Port-Au-Prince, which claimed the lives of nearly 250,000 people, Red Lightning felt a strong need to assist in the recovery efforts. With no specific plan and no on-the-ground contacts, Red Lightning representatives flew to Orlando, Florida, where they partnered with Brian Owen, one of their supporters. Together, they traveled to the Dominican Republic and joined a UN-sponsored bus transporting aid workers to Port-Au-Prince. During the journey, they teamed up with others, including Matthieu Louis, a Haitian-born American returning to assess the safety of his family.
One of the bus passengers had connections with the Salvation Army, allowing the group to secure a place to stay within the Salvation Army’s small camp. There, Red Lightning formed valuable relationships with members of the Salvation Army’s international disaster aid response team and other logistics specialists. Recognizing the urgent need to assess and support orphanages in the Port-Au-Prince area, Red Lightning, alongside Matthieu, worked to identify and deliver aid to several orphanages, with the support of the Salvation Army team.
The entire deployment is documented in Red Lightning’s first book, 3 Weeks in Haiti, which has been included in recommended reading lists for Disaster Aid Preparation Classes.
