If you’re reading this blog then the chances are you’re also a Twitterer, but definitely not a twit! It’s also likely that you’re as passionate about education as we are. Whilst our focus here at School for Startups is on teaching entrepreneurialism and business skills, there are people all over the world who are denied the basic right to any sort of education at all. There are 72 million children around the world who don’t have the opportunity to go to school.
You may have heard of a little something called Twestival, or ‘Twitter Festival’, which is taking place tommorow on the 25th of March. Twestival is all about using social media for good, events that are organised 100% by volunteers where all funds raised through ticket sales and other means go directly to charity. This year for Twestival Global, the focus is on supporting education projects around the world with all funds raised going to Concern Worldwide.
You may be wondering if there’s a Twestival near you. There’ll be a Twestival you can attend in London, there’ll be a Twestival you can attend in Birmingham, there’ll be a Twestival you can attend in Glasgow. Heck…you can attend a Twestival in Tel Aviv, Doha, Chennai or Hong Kong. In fact, Twitter addicts in hundreds of cities around the world will be coming together offline to rally around the important cause of education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness. Just take a look at the spinning globe on the Twestival website to get an idea of just how global this event really is! Though I have to warn you, the spinny globe is kinda addictive to play with.
Twestival is aiming to highlight eight areas which are preventing some of our poorest youth around the world from going to school and getting the education they need:
1. Building Schools – Globally, there are 72 million children – majority of them girls – who are not enrolled in school.
2. Training Teachers – 1.9m new teacher posts will be required to meet the Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015.
3. Furnishing Classrooms – With education, life expectancy rises by as much as 2 years for every 1 percent increase in literacy.
4. School Meals – Undernutrition affects 175m young children each year, and a reason many do not attend school—a health & an education emergency.
5. Water For Schools – Children in many parts of the world are forced to spend hours daily fetching water, and often do not attend school as a result.
6. Reaching The Vulnerable – Education gives people a voice in their communities. It also makes people aware of their rights and opportunities.
7. Health Education – Educated mothers are 50 percent more likely to immunize their children than uneducated mothers.
8. Education For Girls – A woman or girl will reinvest 90% of their income into the family. A man will invest 30-40%.
As you can clearly see, the work of Concern Worldwide is exceptionally important and they are a charity that Twestival are very proud to be supporting this year.
So if you’re looking for a great night out this week and would like to put some real human faces to the avatars you see in your Tweet stream, find your nearest Twestival and help with the global fundraising effort for this amazing charity.
And if you come a long to London Twestival, you’ll definitely see some of the School for Startups team there….just hopefully not at the karaoke bar.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?