COLLEGE PARK, Maryland – In mid-February, UNICEF started a new fundraiser to help children in need, and in doing so, it called for the biggest challenge for today’s generation: go 10 minutes without your smartphone.
For anyone who wants to make a difference, this is an easy way to help and it’s completely free. Any smartphone user can participate by visiting the UNICEF Tap Project on their phone. For every 10 minutes that a user can go without touching their phone after linking to the website, the Tap Project will fund an entire day’s amount of clean water for a child in need. UNICEF reports that with $5 it can provide one child clean drinking water for 200 days.
Once you begin, the website will give you information about the Tap Project, including record times and your status, as well as statistics about what has been happening on social media sites while you have been helping to provide water for those who lack this basic service. One example is, “While people on Instagram have posted 1,620 #food photos, you’ve helped provide water instead.”
According to UNICEF, roughly 768 million people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water Tweet this fact
and 2.5 billion people do not have access to a proper toilet. In addition, about 1,400 children die every day because of diseases that result from unsafe drinking water or a lack of basic health services. These people are living in extreme poverty.
Regarding the choice to have the fundraiser take place on mobile phones, UNICEF Vice President Rajesh Anandan said, “We just wanted to connect two very simple dots, things that are very important and essential that we take for granted and the reality of so many millions of people and millions of kids who don’t have even the most basic things.”
The UNICEF Tap Project is supported by one of its founding agencies, Droga5, and its media sponsor Mediavest. In addition, Giorgio Armani Fragrances is the national sponsor of this project through its own Acqua for Life campaign. Lastly, UNICEF’s Next Generation, a group of young professionals working with the organization, is the project’s time sponsor.
Although it may seem simple for a person to put down his or her smartphone for a short period of time, many people, including Huffington Post Senior Editor Carina Kolodny admitted that is was quite challenging. Kolodny said, “I didn’t realize how much through the course of a day I reach for [my phone]or check it. It’s almost like this unconscious tick that we’re constantly in touch with technology.”
Today, UNICEF is working in over 100 countries to improve access to basic needs, such as clean drinking water and sanitation facilities. With this project, UNICEF is able to involve all smartphone users in its commitment to improve the lives of those in need. The UNICEF Tap Projects provides a simple and easy way to help people gain access to clean, drinking water in hopes that one day, no one will die because of a lack of basic services.
– Julie Guacci
Sources: UNICEF, The Huffington Post, CNET
Photo: CBS