charity: water 2010 September Campaign: Clean Water for the Bayaka from charity: water on Vimeo.

Charity Water’s September campaign for 2010 is out and touches on the Bayaka people of Central African Republic. I first noticed the organisation after it launched its 2009 Sepember campaign trailer – The Story of Charity Water.

I think behind the success of Charity Water and its campaigns lies the staff who understand how media works. Founder Scott Harrison spent time as a photojournalist with Mercy Ships, a humanitarian organization which offered free medical care in the world’s poorest nations via surgery ships. Before that he was promoting nightclubs and fashion events. And Charity Water has since attracted an office of people coming from School of Visual Arts, Pratt Institute and Missouri School of Journalism, one of the top communications colleges. They make “giving up” sexy (It’s not just money you are giving up, it’s your birthday!) They make you feel smart and sleek, just like their videos, by associating yourself with them. And they are not afraid to boast about their success. This is a really crucial strategy. People are less likely to donate if they can’t be assured of the success. By showing the rising amount of money raised, instead of hiding it for fear of drawing less sympathy, they actually encouraged more people to put the money in their bin because actions beget actions. I don’t even have to discuss about the quality of their media production – charismatic narration, lively camera work, hopeful visuals, mood setting music.. Now, we might not want to donate immediately after viewing the video (who would? It’s really hard to affect action just by showing something), but the organization, its motto and the work it does, is unlikely to be forgotten by anyone who has seen this. And people might not give now, but they will give later when confronted with a more direct opportunity to, such as in an event or roadshow.

Philip’s Question from Nuru International on Vimeo.

I  also want to show this video. The quality of production is decent, not wowing but decent. Sometimes, it’s the idea behind the production. In this case, Nuru International has decided to frame its work based on one individual’s thought – Philip Mohochi’s, Nuru’s chairman. The script revolves around Philip questioning his fate to be born poor (and his community to remain so even as he got out of the cycle). It resonated with me because it reminds me that poor people can think about their situation in a very philosophical way, not just limited to worrying about the day-to-day issues. It gives a lot of dignity back to the people we are helping. The central idea is reinforced with the repetition of the catchphrase or slogan – “Why am I poor?”

-kl

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