As 2020 finally comes to an end, nonprofit leaders shared the songs that gave them hope to continue their work through it all. This playlist (and the stories behind it) will uplift you!
Here are the 30 inspiring songs from nonprofits on our crowdsourced playlist:
After Pakistan closed schools to curb the spread of COVID-19, Zindagi Trust jumped into action to set up remote learning and deliver nutritious meals and learning packs to their students. The team, driven by the song’s message that goodness exists everywhere, chose to believe that better times were on the horizon.
“This song is an ode to springtime and love and connection—things we have been yearning for this entire year with the pandemic. It reminds me the world can be beautiful and gives me hope, which has admittedly been in short supply in recent months!
— Sana Kazmi, Zindagi Trust
The coronavirus pandemic came with a steep learning curve, according to Corinne from Tigers4Ever, an organization that provides anti-poaching patrol and permanent solutions to water scarcity for wildlife in India. But as the song “Drive” suggests, Corinne and her team learned to embrace the uncertainty—and they are stronger because of it.
“The opening lyrics say it all: ’Who’s gonna tell you when it’s too late? Who’s gonna tell you things aren’t so great? You can’t go on, thinking nothing’s wrong, oh no!’ We could have entered a period of navel-gazing, but instead, we picked up the phone and talked to our team in India. We listened to the challenges they faced and asked how we could help. Some things needed an immediate response, so we rallied within the team, our friends, and our family to provide emergency food supplies for 200 families who had nothing at all. The team is closer, more autonomous, and more efficient now.”
— Dr. Corinne Taylor-Smith, Tigers4Ever
The song “Jambo Bwana reminds the Kenya Connect team to look on the bright side and keep pushing forward during hard times. They’ve continued to safely distribute computers, broadcast educational read aloud programs on the radio, and deliver educational materials to students living in rural Kenya to keep them learning despite school closures and pandemic-related restrictions.
“I think this song is a bit satirical. It says there are no worries in Kenya, but in essence, there is always a shadow of worry. It is a song that we often sing to visitors. Just this week, our School Fund students sang the song over Zoom to students at Arundel High School in Maryland.”
— James Musyoka, Kenya Connect
Yayasan Bumi Sehat, Ds. PKR Nyuh Kuning works tirelessly to make sure mothers in the Philippines have a safe and holistic birthing experience. Given the stress of the pandemic on top of the delicate task of safely delivering babies, they sought comfort in the soothing tunes of Diane Arkenstone.
“I chose those songs because I find them relaxing and upbeat, which are two qualities we sorely need this year.”
— Elizabeth Sinclair, Yayasan Bumi Sehat, Ds. PKR Nyuh Kuning
Yehuda from the Interface Encounter Association is no stranger to the idea of bringing people together through music. To his organization, “Path of Peace” is part of their path to peace. It represents their work to promote religious coexistence in the Middle East.
“The song was performed by the Interfaith Encounter Band, a band that includes both Israelis and West Bank Palestinians. The band regularly rehearses songs in Hebrew and Arabic, writes new songs, and performs in various locations together—demonstrating both in their being and in their singing how natural it is for Israelis and Palestinians to be friends.”
— Yehuda Stolov, Interfaith Encounter Association
After being stranded in the UK during the lockdown, Elizabeth enjoyed virtually reconnecting with her life and team at The Ideas Partnership in Kosovo after Shpat Deda, one of her favorite Kosovan artists, released Përgjithmonë in April. Meanwhile, in Kosovo, The Ideas Partnership provided school materials to 300 children and medication and nutrition packages to families dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Thanks to the song’s online launch, I could watch Shpat play even while out of Kosovo. The first line, ‘dite e bukur eshte sot,’ means ‘today is a beautiful day,’ which has been a good reminder throughout the pandemic to appreciate what we have right now even when we don’t quite know what is coming tomorrow.”
— Elizabeth Gowing, The Ideas Partnership
The team at Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan (RSKS) wrote ‘Together We Can’ to be performed by beneficiaries of their COVID-19 relief campaign. The song’s lyrics reference how the entire RSKS community came together to help lower-income individuals struggling after losing their wages during the shutdown.
“The main line of the song is “Sahas dikhayenge Hum Lad Ke Dikhaenge,” which means “we will show courage; we will fight.” RSKS India’s thinking and campaign ‘Together We Can Against COVID-19’ became successful as all the people came together to fight against COVID-19 and the problems generated by it. This song motivates our whole team and gives everyone a new spirit to work for the [common] good and make people believe in humanity.”
— Dr. Deepak Sharma, Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan
Listen to the full Pandora playlist for more inspiring songs from nonprofits in 2020.
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