Former Liberian refugees focus their creative talent to combat poor sanitation. The group of musicians known as Shadow’s Entertainment joined forces with Giving Voice to Hope: Songs for Sustainable Development and Peace to produce a dynamic music video that encourages good hygiene. Written, recorded, and shot in Monrovia, Liberia, this piece of artist activism is an important message with the power to reach millions.
http://youtu.be/p-Q-8x-Mko8 - Sanitation video without titles
http://youtu.be/AmCk4WHPfSU - Sanitation video with titles
Liberia loses USD17.5 million annually due to poor sanitation, close to 3% of the country’s 2013 budget. Poor sanitation leads to a host of potentially fatal diseases and has the potential to adversely affect cognitive development in children. Simple measures such as proper disposal of waste and hand-washing dramatically improve chances for a healthy life.
Music was chosen as the vehicle for the educational message because popular music (by definition) engages the broadest possible social spheres. The project’s ultimate goal is to establish an NGO in Monrovia, training musicians and supporting production of Creative Commons-licensed music circulating freely towards sustainable peace and development, both to deliver crucial, transformative messages to a war-torn society, and to raise global awareness and concern about post-conflict issues.
This project, spearheaded by Michael Frishkopf, Professor of Music at the University of Alberta (Canada) is a collaborative effort involving University of Alberta (Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology, the Centre for the Cross Cultural Study of Health & Healing), the Edmonton community (Rhodes Recordings), and international charitable organizations (the NYC-based GroundUp Global; the Liberia-based Center for Youth Empowerment). “Sanitation” was funded with a generous grant from The Rotary Club of Calgary. Giving Voice to Hope is an ongoing, expanding international participatory action research network.
Giving Voice to Hope: Songs for Sustainable Development and Peace:
http://fwa.wikia.com/wiki/Giving_voice_to_hope
http://fwa.wikia.com/wiki/Songs_for_sustainable_development_and_peace
Facts about sanitation in Liberia:
http://www.zaragoza.es/contenidos/medioambiente/onu/825-eng-v7.pdf
WASH program Statement of Work:
http://www.lr.undp.org/Documents/PDF/Liberia_SOW_GOL_and_Development_Partners_SWA_Mission_FINAL_25_04_20111.pdf