What was the inspiration behind Humanitarian Notes?
Namibia has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world. To outsiders, it might seem that effective awareness campaigns are underway–HIV/AIDS posters, ribbons, and t-shirts blanket the country. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, we learned otherwise. My moment of obligation occurred when I saw that many of the people attending HIV/AIDS awareness events left with full stomachs and new t-shirts, but no intention of using the information they had just received to change their lives. I began to develop my own projects to create behavioral change, but I knew that for an idea to work, it had to take a new approach to spreading the message; t-shirts and ribbons just weren’t working. It was on a long-distance bus ride that the light bulb went on: if I could couple popular music with a message of change, imagine the potential impact. I recognized that Namibians are much more likely to follow the advice of a local musician whom they love and respect than the advice of a foreign volunteer. Having realized the futility of many existing HIV/AIDS campaigns and the comparative power and influence of musicians, an idea was born.
Namibia has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world. To outsiders, it might seem that effective awareness campaigns are underway–HIV/AIDS posters, ribbons, and t-shirts blanket the country. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, we learned otherwise. My moment of obligation occurred when I saw that many of the people attending HIV/AIDS awareness events left with full stomachs and new t-shirts, but no intention of using the information they had just received to change their lives. I began to develop my own projects to create behavioral change, but I knew that for an idea to work, it had to take a new approach to spreading the message; t-shirts and ribbons just weren’t working. It was on a long-distance bus ride that the light bulb went on: if I could couple popular music with a message of change, imagine the potential impact. I recognized that Namibians are much more likely to follow the advice of a local musician whom they love and respect than the advice of a foreign volunteer.
