THE PURPOSE OF RAISING AWARENESS
In Malcom Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, the author analyses the reasons why sometimes things become epidemics. For example, the massive increase in sales of a particular item; the Tipping Point is that moment when the product goes from selling tens of thousands to millions. Dreams of Africa is using the idea of a 'Tipping Point' as the main target of its campaign.
Apathy is the last thing that we can afford in a world that is ever shrinking. If we do not do all that we can to give life to the Dream of Africa's people to live a prosperous life, it will also have negative effects on the lives of us here in the UK. African poverty not only deprives millions of people the chance to develop their communities in that continent, but also deprives us of successful and stable partners for economic growth. Continuous poverty and struggling African states could also breed the resentment which is at the root of extremism that also threatens our society as well.
It is both in humanitarian and our own interests to become more engaged with the challenges that the people of Africa face. With this realisation Dreams of Africa has targeted the 'Tipping Point' of individual engagement as its central aim.
Each individual person has a store of knowledge that will in some cases lead them to act in the name of a cause. This can depend on the type of knowledge, the status of the cause and their personal circumstance. Personal Circumstance is not something we can necessarily affect: if they are poor themselves or cannot afford the time and money to act then it takes exceptional people in this situation to give effort to the cause of helping the lives of Africans. The status of the cause of people in Africa and supporting their struggle for a better life has reached a critical point; for every year that some countries in Africa continue on their downward spiral it makes it that much harder to ensure its future. Every little here helps a lot there.
We CAN and MUST affect the type of knowledge and understanding that people have. By ensuring that people are informed about Africa, its challenges and progress, we can help people reach that 'Tipping Point'.
How are we going to do this?
Highlighting Practical Effects:
A Statistic-based approach is informative but not always motivational. For Instance “4.3 million new infections worldwide in 2006” doesn't necessarily mean much to the ordinary person in the street; who knows what 4.3 million people looks like? Even if they did- would they know how it would affect the lives of each of those 4.3 million people and the many million other people that those 4.3 million come in contact with? These questions highlight the importance of educating people in the Practical Effects of HIV / AIDS, malaria, famine and poverty on the African people. For Example: loss of life leading to families losing their main provider so the elder son can no longer go to school as he has to get to work (or the elder child even having to become quasi-parents to their siblings as they are orphaned). By asking the people who we're conversing with to think about their own lives (for example what their parents do for them:cook, clean, pay for food etc) and asking them to think what they would do if they were put in the position of the children in Africa who lose both their parents to AIDS (as an example).
The idea is not to make people feel guilty because they have something, but to help make them feel happy they have something to offer and to make them realise that just like them, the children and people of Africa need their parents too.
Just as important is that the practical effects of the work of SOS Children's Villages and other projects, such as Dr Mike Clifford's (of the University of Nottingham's Engineering Department) Appropriate Technologies work, is made clear to the people who we engage with. SOS Children's Village in Bakoteh, Gambia for example ensures that some of the children with no parents in that community are cared for, have access to food and medical care. It also ensures that children of exceedingly poor families can go to school- giving them a hope for the future. By sponsoring individual projects, Dreams of Africa will be able to show its volunteers and the people who have contributed in its fund-raising events exactly what their money did and how it affected people's lives in a positive way. By doing so we show those who we engage with that they're contribution in the UK made a meaningful difference to the lives of people in Africa. Not necessarily always as individuals, but as a collective.
Knowledge of the practical effects on African people's lives and the realisation that they played their parts in achieving something worthwhile and that it was effective may bring more people to the 'Tipping Point' at which they might choose to Engage in discussions about the challenges the people of Africa face and thus new ideas and solutions might emerge Continue volunteering and contributing as a collective Choose to engage to a greater extent with Africa and direct their lives towards this aim.
We may not be able to convince everybody, but if we bring people closer to that 'Tipping Point', or even to it, then that will be a resounding success.