In urban slums such as Mumbai’s Dharavi, social distancing is impossible. One million people live within an area of just 2.1 square kilometres. A single water tap is touched by 200 people during the course of the day. Livelihoods depend on daily wage earners working outdoors.

The only way to limit the spread of COVID-19 is for residents to stay isolated and adopt restrictive social behaviours.

Already reeling from a first wave of infections, a failure to control the spread in Dharavi would result in unimaginable consequences for India.

Long-time partners of the government in a range of social and community projects, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BGMF) pledged to support the authorities in tackling this problem. The Non-Profit needed a creative solution to educate the people of Dharavi in ways that are sensitive to their unique circumstances but impactful in effecting behavioral change.

Combined with government-imposed measures, the campaign was instrumental in preventing a disastrous outcome in Dharavi.

After recording 1,216 COVID-19 cases in May, the slum saw only 274 cases and six deaths in the first two weeks of June thanks to the community heeding health advice. This was at a time when other parts of India were experiencing huge surges.

The achievement earned praise from the WHO and a feature story in the Los Angeles Times.

The music video was viewed over a million times within the day of its launch in May 2020, growing to 58 million by the end of the year. Sharing on Whatsapp – India’s most popular texting app (even in the slums) contributed to this. The videos, GIF images and animations ensured that the messages are understood by those who can’t read.

The music video has since been used as a PSA tool by the Government.