Scarlett Johansson is returning from a four-day trip to the African nation of Rwanda, where she visited AIDS clinics.

The actress, 23, made the journey with (RED), the initiative to help fight AIDS in Africa through business and consumer power.

"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.

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"