What We Do
Faq's
Aims & Objectives
Operations
Logistics
Where does What's Your Sign stand in the market place?
Our Motto!
How do we do it?
Why do we do it?
Why the focus on HIV and not AIDS?
When and Why was What's Your Sign founded?
What is a Social Enterprise?
Can we get involved?
Why we do not turn to Governments for funding our efforts!
Where does What's Your Sign stand in the market place?
Here at What's Your Sign we continually assess and develop new and innovative methods to financially assist those suffering with HIV worldwide.Our financial contributions are directed toward encouraging the speedy discharge of sufferers from Primary Care and to develop personal achievement opportunities to otherwise helpless individuals.
Whilst we do not provide Primary Care or Treatment for those suffering with HIV, we do provide remarkable opportunities and financial support to those that do.
We at What's Your Sign believe that larger investments need to be made by the commercial sector and that no one person should sacrifice their own benefits making it happen.
Our standing position and strength in the market place will continue to grow as we address and adapt proven models of success and use them to raise levels of public and corporate perception toward people living with HIV and toward those at risk of infection.
Our Motto!
All too often HIV positive individuals feel powerless when confronting the issues surrounding being HIV positive. Through active community involvement with What's Your Sign and our commercial investors we will show and teach you how and why you should "Keep Positive!"
As well as promoting well-being amongst the HIV community we share our experience and insights with those individuals that are HIV negative.
Encouraged by lessons of social responsibility the team at What's Your Sign supported financially by our investors will show and teach you how and why you should "Stay Safe!"
How do we do it?
What's Your Sign designs mutually beneficial marketing opportunities to the commercial sector in exchange for financial support that would have ordinarily contributed to large dividends paid to third party business partners.Delivering Audiences to the commercial market is never easy. Here at What's Your Sign we genuinely believe that people want to help.
The way forward is not for individuals to be excluded but to be included.
Why do we do it?
The directors of What's Your Sign are both HIV positive and HIV negative. We have personally experienced many of the issues faced when confronting HIV. We have also been personally exposed to the limitations imposed by commercial and community members that know little or nothing about the issues surrounding this illness.We do not portion blame on those that have little knowledge of the HIV virus, we simply want to make the issues we face, understood.
Why the focus on HIV and not AIDS?
There seems to be a great deal of controversy surrounding this issue. It is vital that everyone understands that being HIV positive does not mean that you have AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Think of the word AIDS as being redundant.Whilst it is true that left untreated HIV positive individuals can become fatally ill, these illnesses are a direct result of being HIV positive, and have in years past have been categorized as AIDS.
However, these fatal illnesses are an entity in their own right and with the medical advances that have been made of late should be treated as such. For example I, Neill Phelps of What's Your Sign, developed an Opportunistic Infection in April 2004 named PCP, most people including my family at the time thought that I had AIDS.
And now the revelation - PCP is a form of pneumonia caused by a common organism called Pneumocystis carinii. This was originally thought to be a protozoan, but more recently research has found that it is more closely related to fungi. It is relatively common throughout the population and does not cause problems in people with healthy immune systems. However, if the immune system is damaged the organisms can grow in the lungs, causing Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). The conclusion to be drawn from that is that I DO NOT HAVE AIDS!
In order for us to collectively address the global pandemic regarding HIV it is important that we get this right. Being HIV positive means that - The strength of the immune system is compromised and left untreated can allow Opportunistic Infections (infections seizing the opportunity of a weakened immune system) to develop.
In the bigger picture all this means is that there are people out there that need to receive that right medication at the right time so that they can lead normal and fulfilling lives. Yes, they will continue to be HIV positive but they will not die if their Opportunistic Infections can be treated.
When and Why was What's Your Sign founded?
What's Your Sign was founded this year, 2004, as a not-for-profit social enterprise, to specifically address the issues that people who are HIV positive face on a daily basis. Only when these issues have been confronted by all of us, will we truly be able to offer any sustainable support to areas of Low Economic Development and learn from lessons of the past.The issues include but are not limited to:-
We believe there is hope, and that being HIV positive does not mean that other people are automatically at risk. Simply that HIV+ people have an illness that needs to be controlled. Once the social implications have been addressed and any misconceptions overruled, we will prevail in the battle against HIV.
What is a Social Enterprise?
Quite simply:-"A Social Enterprise is an organisation that is willing to stand out from the rest of the social economy by developing and maintaining trading activities to achieve social goals and financial self-sufficiency".
It means that we utilise normal commercial practices to fund our operations within the community and put any profits that we make to good use. We do not pay dividends and unrealistic salaries to our directors and we do not draw limitations on how our company can operate.
We will continue to grow, change and adapt with our local environment and with the community at large.
Can we get involved?
If you have a desire to support the community at large and can professionally demonstrate methods we can adopt and develop then Yes, you can get involved.All we ask is that you strongly agree with our principles and operating values and that you are willing to stand up and be counted as someone that supports the fight against HIV. This is not easy and opens you up to a great deal of potential misunderstanding, however, we will support you.
Why we do not turn to Governments for funding our efforts!
Although we do not reject any financial support, there are two reasons that What's Your Sign do not look primarily to governments for financial supportThat means that if you support those that fight against the spread of HIV:-
The next time you need to buy an item of clothing, buy it from a supplier that will use your money to provide services for others infected and affected by HIV
The next time you attend a concert, buy your tickets from sources that will use your money to provide services for others infected and affected by HIV
The next time you buy a new car, buy it from a source that financially supports enterprises that provide services for others infected and affected by HIV
You spend the same money, you get the same services without compromising on quality, suppliers still sell their goods and you decide what your money can be used for. Your money gets used differently and everyone benefits from getting what they need rather than what they think they need.
So, do you think that we need to drain already tight budgets from Government funding? We don't.
