Lead + Affirm

Heroes Project uses the power and influence of societal leaders – from celebrities like film stars, top athletes and media practitioners, to civil society leaders and community leaders. We leverage their ability to command significant audiences and constituencies in helping bring about attitude and behaviour change.

We start by recruiting societal leaders and sensitising them to the issue being addressed. We support them in making a long-term commitment to participate and engage, and ensure their messaging is consistent and coordinated with other aspects of the campaign.

Heroes Project uses the power and influence of societal leaders”.

Strong partnerships are key. Our partnerships with entertainment media and other media platforms create and implement programming that addresses the social, health or development issues we champion. This involves weaving storylines dealing with the issue into soap operas, talk shows and other programmes to create what is called “education entertainment”.

Of great importance, we sensitise media practitioners such as writers, reporters, producers and creative heads, at private and state-run broadcasters and media houses. On complex social issues like HIV, for example, this requires well-crafted workshops where we explain the socio-cultural aspects of the epidemic and the vulnerabilities of key affected populations, and demonstrate how the media can programmatically and thematically address sensitive and controversial issues.

We build ‘coalitions of the willing’”.

We focus on marginalised and vulnerable communities. We also focus our work on marginalised and vulnerable communities to help them gain access to services and support, and empower them individually and collectively. We identify potential leaders and spokespersons from within these communities and transform them into societal leaders that represent their peers with, for example, authorities and government bodies, health providers, other health sector players and the media.

Using this approach, we build “coalitions of the willing,” drawing upon the strengths of different groups of stakeholders to help them come together and realise common goals.