12th May, 2010
The Status of Africa application - a virtual window into life in Africa
Lend your Facebook status to help raise awareness of issues in Africa
We all know that Africa is one of the world’s poorest and most under-developed continents, but the real stories of daily life remain unknown to many of us.
Which is why AMREF UK, together with the creative agency BBH, has launched a Facebook application called Status of Africa, which allows users to lend their Facebook status updates to a group of seven different African people for five days. The aim of the application is to raise awareness of the daily life of African people in some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in Africa, and of the lives AMREF is working to improve.
When people sign up to the application, Sister Josephine, Amos, John, Pius, Mesulu, Ruth and Asrat take over and tell their contacts what they’re up to – the highs and lows of their daily life. Each story is based on a true account of a particular person’s life, whether they are a nurse, doctor, street kid or community elder. There are 20 status updates per character, enough for two weeks' news from each person.
Grace Mukasa, CEO at AMREF UK, said, ‘This campaign gives a voice to real people in Africa who are never usually heard, and highlights how AMREF is working with them to improve their lives’.
Whilst Facebook statuses have previously been used for the dissemination of statement or fact, this campaign is an innovative, ‘human’ use of the viral Facebook medium. People can also lend their Facebook profile photo and Twitter account, spreading the word of Africa across their groups of friends and contacts.
Rosie Arnold, Deputy Executive Creative Director at BBH said, ‘By dedicating your Facebook status to a real African person it is a virtual window into their lives, and I hope the contrast of their struggle for water and food with our exchanges about parties and plans to meet for a drink will provoke and compel people to join in.”
Help spread the word and the cause at: http://apps.facebook.com/statusofafrica