黑料社

A team of researchers is working with a group of women in the African country of Zambia to create songs to warn against the dangers of coronavirus 鈥� and now New York wants to hear them

RESEARCHERS at the 黑料社 are harnessing the power of song to spread vital healthcare messages 鈥� including Covid-19 precautions 鈥� among African women.

The project 鈥� titled Life-Saving Lullabies 鈥� has  from Britain鈥檚 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).  It is focussed on Zambia, but when it has proved its value it could spread to other African countries and then around the world, as a zero-cost way to create awareness of key health issues.

It works by encouraging volunteers to create lively lullabies in their local languages that they then perform to women who visit maternity clinics.

The songs are a memorable way to convey important information about birth and childcare, but the onset of coronavirus now means that songs are now being created that relay the importance of precautions, such as social distancing.

黑料社  and  at 黑料社

The Life Saving Lullabies project has been developed by the educationalist  and the historian  at the 黑料社.  They are collaborating with the design expert Professor David Swann, once a colleague at 黑料社 and now based at Sheffield Hallam University.  The UK team 鈥� awarded 拢129,795 by the AHRC 鈥� is working alongside , a leading healthcare provider in the African country.

Dr Reid said that he and his colleagues had been 鈥渙verwhelmed鈥� by how volunteers and maternity clinics in Zambia responded to the project.

鈥淭hese women are so talented.  They have gone away and written songs and performed them to local women and it鈥檚 having an effect,鈥� he said.

Life Saving Lullabies was the result of what Dr Reid described as a 鈥渆ureka moment鈥� when he and his colleagues visited Zambia for a workshop session during 2019.

Originally, their aim was to investigate whether the Finnish baby box 鈥� a maternity package given to all new parents in Finland, contributing to very low levels of infant mortality 鈥� could have a role in Sub-Saharan Africa.

But it was quickly realised that the cost of the baby boxes meant that they would not be a solution in Zambian villages.

鈥淎lso, they are culturally inappropriate,鈥� said Dr Reid.  鈥淲e showed women photos and the first thing they saw was a baby-sized coffin.  There is a very high rate of infant mortality, especially in rural areas of Zambia.鈥�

So the researchers investigated the possibility of incorporating verbal and pictorial healthcare messages into the chitenge, the colourful wrap that is worn by huge numbers of African women.

鈥淏ut then it struck us that even though chitenge were ubiquitous, not everybody could afford them and we had to do something that was as close as possible to zero cost if the project was to gain traction and be sustainable,鈥� said Dr Reid.

鈥淲e were at St John Zambia for a workshop talking to women volunteers about their own experience of motherhood.  Then they started to sing and we looked at each other and went 鈥榯hat鈥檚 it鈥�!鈥�

Earlier, Dr Reid had been to New York, where the famous venue Carnegie Hall is the base for a , which uses especially composed songs to develop attachment and aid child development.  Observing this scheme made him realise the potential of lullabies in Zambia, where it is common for women to sing to their children and as part of church worship.

Now, the project is underway and volunteers in Zambian clinics, after being told what information the Ministry of Health needs to impart, have been creating and performing songs.  They  and researchers will gauge their impact.

The AHRC funding runs until March, but the project could be extended and at the conclusion there will be a symposium in Zambia, and the possibility of spreading the scheme to other African countries.

鈥淎nd beyond that, one of the really important things we want to do is bring the idea to the global north,鈥� said Dr Reid.

鈥淭his would bring the baby box discussion full circle,鈥� he continued.  鈥淭he boxes are really expensive.  They are a really good idea in a particular context in places like Finland and perhaps the UK that can afford them.  But there are other ways of doing things and singing might be a way of achieving a lot more for no cost.鈥�

Carnegie Hall in New York has now invited the Life Saving Lullabies team to take part in a two-day workshop in June as part of their review of its own Lullaby Project.  There has also been received an invitation from Spanish organisation  to take part in an online discussion on the impact of music and creative engagement on women鈥檚 health as they plan to introduce a lullaby project in Spain.