Photograph by Kamilah

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HIV/AIDS is defined by people: their complex lives, their bravery, their fear, their sadness, their need, their laughter, their inconsistencies–basically, their rich humanity. LiveHopeLove looks at the universal problems faced by people with HIV/AIDS, through the specific lens of Jamaica, where almost no one is unaffected by the disease.

What are the unique realities of this small island state that set its HIV/AIDS sufferers apart from those in the rest of the world? Poet and writer Kwame Dawes travels to Jamaica to explore the experience of people living with HIV/AIDS and to examine how the disease has shaped their lives. Dawes’ poems, inspired by their stories, take this documentary into deep realms of the heart.

LiveHopeLove: HIV/AIDS in Jamaica is the second of two multimedia reporting initiatives undertaken by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting with support from the MAC AIDS Fund. Visit LiveHopeLove.com to explore the interactive website with rich photography, the complete set of Kwame’s poems, short video documentaries and musical interpretations of the poems.This documentary constructed entirely from film sound, was created in conjunction with the Emmy award winning website.

This is an exceptional piece of audio. Kwame Dawes’ poetic-narration is vivid, beautiful, and effective. Using a poetic form rather than prose to prepare the listener for each section allows the folks featured in this piece more autonomy to tell their own story than a traditional narration would have. Live Hope Love shows the listener that while contracting AIDS is a tragedy, AIDS patients are not, by definition, victims.The music is excellent, and effectively integrated within the spoken word and audio footage. The reggae and hiphop convey a distinct sense of place, lift the spirit of the story, and communicate that AIDS is no longer a death sentence; it is a disease people can live with and survive.

LiveHopeLove was commissioned by The Pulitzer Center in Crisis Reporting, in partnership with Public Radio Exchange

Photo by Josh Cogan

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