If back in 2012 you were researching anything remotely related to humanitarian work you must have surely come across the Radi-Aid campaign. It’s the work of a group of students from Norway (and their teachers) who created a parody of Bob Geldof’s Band-Aid Christmas song “Do they know it’s Christmas?” As part of Radi-Aid, the humanitarian students (SAIH, check them out) produced the music-video “Africa for Norway” causing the campaign to go viral. The idea behind the mock-campaign was for Africans to unite in order to save Norwegians from dying of frostbite. African donors were encouraged to donate radiators and spread some warmth!

Last year the same innovative bunch launched a second parody video. “Let’s Save Africa!- Gone Wrong”. (The 3 minute clip is a must-see!) This time around the drollery is drawn from stylizing the stereotypes frequently used in fundraising campaigns (some call it poverty porn). The video has a deeper purpose though: SAIH are trying to change the way fundraising campaigns communicate issues of poverty and development. As a result they have initiated a faux-award ceremony where creative campaigns are awarded a Golden Radiator, and the stereotypical (i.e. poverty porn) are left with a Rusty Radiator.
(The whole thing has become pretty big, and they've even set up a seriously badass website: rustyradiator.com).

Fast forward two years to today: the beginning of a new era of humanitarian-mockery. A TV show now exists to highlight some of the absurdities of the international aid sector. The deceptively named The Samaritans is a sitcom about the perils– and pleasures– of the NGO world. Created by a Kenya-based production company, it depicts the work of Aid for Aid — a dysfunctional NGO that “does nothing”.

It might not become an instant international hit. Other than the subject matter, the sitcom is not dissimilar to the US comedy: The Office. However, it surely makes for some great comic-relief among those involved in the sector in some way. (I’m thinking of the poor aid-workers-in-training whose minds have gone numb trying to make sense of it all).

To date, only a couple of teasers are available. Call for Proposals (below) reminds me of particular class we had in the first semester.

I eagerly anticipate a full-length feature film from Hollywood!