Monday 21 May 2012

#ShareNiger

Right now my good friend Siân is on a plane headed to Niger with World Vision UK and Liz Scarff to tell the world about what is happening in West Africa before it is too late. 


Low rainfall, poor harvest and high food prices people have put 15 million people across the region at risk of food shortages. In Niger 5.5 million people are already affected. This landlocked country is not only one of the poorest in the world; it has just been named as the worst place in the world to be a mother. The worst place in the world to be a mother--I bolded that for a reason--if it is the worst place to be a mother how do you think it ranks for children? 
So what do I want you to do?
Follow her journey using # ShareNiger and help spread their storytelling by retweeting.  Siân and Liz will be providing live updates from the field on Storify.
Add your voice and share the stories of the people that they meet. Write a blog post, write a tweet, update your Facebook status. Every evening they will be sharing the words and images of the women and children that they have met in order for you to write about them and join the storytelling movement.


That's not too much to ask is it? To me Social Media is all about making connections, sharing stories and enacting and facilitating change; you can do all of that with just a tweet, status update or blog post.


One of my feminist idols is Margaret Mead; this quote of hers is how I choose to view the world and how I choose to make change. I hope it strikes a chord with you as much as it does with me:



"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."- Margaret Mead
You can learn more by watching the World Vision presentation from Cybher:

5 comments:

Melaina25 said...

I think you can hear tigerboy in the background of that video...am waiting to hear what the next step is.

Melaina25 said...

I think for now it is following #ShareNiger and sharing the stories that Liz & Siân post-- make some noise :)

Melaina25 said...

Thank you so much for your support and for sharing that quote - we 100% agree!

Melaina25 said...

Thank you honey. xx

Melaina25 said...

What a great quote. And a wonderful post x