Health songs

Indonesia Sehat
The whole idea of writing songs to promote health originated from Rob's work in West Java between 2003 and 2006.
Rob was commissioned to create an album of songs designed to help a group of West Javanese
community based nurses working for the Health Awareness Group (HAG) of Sumbangsih Nuansa Tasikmalaya (SNT). The aim of the album was to create songs that would assist in the training of voluntary neighbourhood health wardens working in their communities. Whilst most of the population of West Java is literate, traditionally speaking it is an oral culture and so song proved to be a good way to communicate vital health information. Many of the volunteers where mothers with small children which meant that while these mums were learning the new songs, so too were the children. The children it seemed learnt the songs much quicker than their mothers and so these quirky little songs were often heard being sung around the alley ways of adjacent neighbourhoods by the children as they played. These songs have been used in a number of ways including in public performances with teams competing before a panel of judges. Indonesia Sehat was given the subtitle Volume 1 as it was agreed at the time that follow up albums needed to be recorded to cover the most common health conditions.

Topics covers on this first album "Indonesia Sehat" or Healthy Indonesia include:

      • Anemia (signs and symptoms)
      • Denghy fever
      • Malaria and how to keep the nighbourhood safe
      • How to care for a stomach ulcer
      • Clean and safe living (about drinking and sleeping around)
      • Diarrhea (including the oral rehydration recipe)
      • Hypertension
      • The organs of the body and what their function are
      • Cleaning up our neighbourhood to keep it safe and healthy
      • What an infected wound looks like and how to treat it
      • Family planning
      • Tuberculoss

Play/span> ~ Diare (Diarrhea)

Play/span> ~ Keluarga berencana (Family planning)

Play/span> ~ Demam berdarah (Dengue fever)

After the tsunami
As a result of Millenium Relief and Development Service's (MRDS) involvment in the wake of the tsunami in the Aceh province of Indonesia, Rob had the opportunity to join the team as they immersed themselves in helping with the recovery work. MRDS chose to concentrate its efforts in town of Lamno and found themselves in collaboration with a number of notable NGOs including Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). A discussion between one of the MSF Belgian's psycho-social workers and Rob lead to the comissioning of an EP entitiled "Kami tiadak akan takut" which in Bahasa Indonesia means "we won't be afraid". With the help of some very skilled local audio engineers, local artists and a team of very excited orphaned children, 4 songs were produced in the only remaining studio in Banda Aceh the provincial capital. These songs were all related to mental health issues and were used as primers for group discussions lead by MSF staffers. Following the release of the album MSF duplicated and distributed 8000 copies throughout the province.

Play/span> ~ Wate na geumpa rayeuk
(When there is a big earthquake 'this is what to do')

Rob would be very keen to hear from you if you have an interest in this kind of approach to community health issues whether you're a health worker, development professional or a songwriter. For an indepth review of future plans for the expansion of this work see http://www.robgreaney.com/thebigvision.htm

Health Songs International
A Vision for Health Awareness Songs and Videos
Prepared by Rob Greaney April 10^th 2007

The problem
Each day in developing countries, many thousands of people die or are suffering needlessly from a lack of basic knowledge about health issues. The WHO has declared Malaria and Diarrhea to be the world’s two biggest killers. For the poor, unfortunately, many such conditions are an inevitability however with a little education and a willingness to make some adjustments, the chances of falling victim to such maladies could be greatly reduced and with the right care, many lives could be saved.

How can songs help?
Songwriters utilizing their talents and available technology working together with professional health care givers can produce songs that carry critical health information. A prime example of this type of recording is the album “Indonesia Sehat” produced by Jan Dillak and myself, Rob Greaney in West Java, Indonesia.
A proverb that motivates us at HSI is “A hit song travels faster than a virus.”

Video
Like music, the power of image cannot be underestimated. The thoughtful partnership between songwriters and video production people can produce results that leave lasting impressions. It is these impressions that save lives.
The production of such music videos is seen as a way of providing invaluable teaching aids for health care workers serving in these “At risk communities”. While the technology for showing video is not always available, where it does exist video is highly effective.

Mobility and rapid response
It is foreseen that we, as an organization will be asked to respond to crisis situations often in remote areas or areas where access has become difficult. With this in mind it will be important for each assembled team to have the ability to travel light and move fast. While most assignments will receive a fair amount of forward planning, team members in a position to respond may be asked to do so with a minimum of notice. This will require light weight equipment, ready funding and flexibility related to work commitments.

Getting started
I am strongly convinced that an international group needs to be formed to help meet the need. This group will consist of songwriters, musicians, audio engineers, administrators and PR people from countries all over the world. We will focus strongly on creating teams within developing countries and those countries prone to natural calamity and civil unrest.
As a group we will seek opportunities to work alongside NGOs who are directly involved with health care work amongst the most needy. We will seek to work directly with local songwriters and musicians, audio engineers, recording studios etc (our peers) to encourage the development of an indigenous health song-producing culture and utilize wherever possible, local resources. We see a “Local ownership policy” to be a priority.

Types of situations where we could help
~ Working with groups such as Oxfam to help write CampManagement songs in places like Darfour and other troubled spots where IDPs (Internally displaced people) gather in large numbers.
~ Working alongside government and NGOs to write cluster bomb safety and awareness songs for children in Arabic.
~ Writing safe drinking water songs for flood disaster regions.
~ Working with MSF’s (Medecins Sans Frontieres or Doctors without borders) Psychosocial workers on songs about the treatment of trauma caused by war and natural disaster.
~ Working with local NGOs and health organizations on general hygiene and primary health songs for North Indian urban slum dwellers.
~ Working with World Vision on child safety songs for refugee camps at the Thai/Burma border.
~ Contracting to national governments to produce songs for their primary school health education carriculum.
~ Writing and recording HIV/Aids messages for radio broadcast in

I'm very interested in this initiative. What should I do now?
For this work to succeed, a high level of cooperation and effective networking is needed. At this time I am writing to those skilled in songwriting, musicianship, audio engineering, video production, public relations and research to consider a possible future field assignment. If you or any of your colleagues sense that this is something that you could be part of or could help to develop, please contact me, Rob Greaney at rob@healthsongsinternational.com