“Know What You Breathe”
Yangon, Myanmar | Air Quality Yangon | 2020
We are Air Quality Yangon, a group of students in Yangon, Myanmar who have come together to improve the health of our community, starting from the very thing that gives us life: air.
The Right-Sized Problem
When you can begin to see the color of the air, something must be wrong. Despite air pollution being a huge issue where we live, most people in Yangon didn’t know it even existed while many people who knew simply didn’t truly understand or care because it didn’t seem to impact their lives.
What did we do?
That’s why we began collecting data on air quality to raise awareness about air pollution, using tangible and digestible numbers which will tell people exactly the kind of air they’re breathing and what that means for their health.
We also brought in the help of our white, furry mascot, Dr. Air Bear, who walked around Yangon to show what air pollution looks like.
How did we do it?
Impact on the community in Yangon
Not only was this campaign seen by almost seven million citizens and picked up by 78 media outlets, it also gathered over 2,000 pledges to use public transportation to reduce air pollution. Inspired by this, the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology began sharing their own air quality data to the public.
Words from Air Quality Yangon
“SHIFT has given us training on campaigning, digital literacy, and communicating to the masses. As a young person, I’m very happy that we’re able to make an impact in our community.” – Nicole Aye
