"Stop the pity. Unlock the potential."
The video "Call Me Hope" is the second installment of a campaign to change the way we in the Western world conceptualize humanitarian work. Mama Hope is the nonprofit organization behind the campaign. Since 2006, they have been dedicated to creating systemic change in the African communities where most of their work is focused (Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda). Their ultimate goal is to develop sustainability through microfinance projects.
Nyla Rodgers and Amy Vaninetti, Mama Hope's founder and operations director respectively, are dedicated to creating long-term solutions that empower all members of a community. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Rodgers explains their philosophy: "They own it, and they know it. These are not our projects. At end of day, if most of the villagers don't even know that Mama Hope was involved, then we're happy. We want to be like angel investors, not CEOs" (full interview here). I think this is a great strategy as it encourages active participation and group collaboration, which contribute to a stronger social fabric. Leadership qualities are nurtured and community members are given a sense of purpose.
Nyla Rodgers and Amy Vaninetti, Mama Hope's founder and operations director respectively, are dedicated to creating long-term solutions that empower all members of a community. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Rodgers explains their philosophy: "They own it, and they know it. These are not our projects. At end of day, if most of the villagers don't even know that Mama Hope was involved, then we're happy. We want to be like angel investors, not CEOs" (full interview here). I think this is a great strategy as it encourages active participation and group collaboration, which contribute to a stronger social fabric. Leadership qualities are nurtured and community members are given a sense of purpose.
Mama Hope is unique in that they approach the topic of international development and aid work from a different perspective - one that is entirely optimistic. Whereas other campaigns seek to elicit feelings of immense sympathy and guilt, Call Me Hope attempts to inspire social activism by pointing to the fact that, as human beings living on the same Earth, we are all connected. The campaign re-frames the issue by demonstrating that we are all members of a global village. Although certain boundaries may exist (racial, geographical, socio-economic, etc.) it's important for us in the West (who are relatively privileged) to recognize that these are arbitrary; at the end of the day, we share the same Earth and breathe the same air.
Link: Mama Hope website
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