Children in the West African country of Sierra Leone walk up to nine miles to get to school – on dirt paths lined with deadly snakes, through monsoons, in 100-degree heat with little to no drinking water, past abandoned diamond mines filled with malaria-ridden water, and down roads dominated by sexual predators. Then, after their last class, they have to walk home.
A “million” miles away in first world cities, few people understand the everyday trials of these children. So David&Goliath gave them a taste in the world they understand. Online.
The spearhead of David&Goliath’s campaign for non-profit, Shine on Sierra Leone – an organisation dedicated to building new schools that bring education closer to the children’s homes – is an 9 mile experience called 9 Miles Scroll, here.
The idea is supported by OOH posters, billboards and an Instagram initiative featuring 9 influencers who tagged each other consecutively in one of the 9 miles of the children’s journey. Influencers include Zoe Kravitz (@zoeisabellakravitz), Rosario Dawson (@rosariodawson), Nura Afia (@nuralailalov), Sammy Wilk (@sammywilk), Cree Summer (@iamcreesummer), and Saul Williams (@saulwilliams).
The walk can take children 3-5 hours on foot (and users 3-5 hours to scroll through). The user, on their 9-mile scroll from the village to the school, experiences what the children go through day in and day out.
“We have so much to be thankful for in the US, from work opportunities to technology to clean water and especially access to education. These are liberties we often take for granted,” stated David Angelo, founder & chairman of D&G.
“When I think about the kids in Sierra Leone who, under some of the worst conditions, walk 9 miles each way for an education, I am both inspired and humbled. They show true bravery and self-determination every day. We wanted to shine a spotlight on the plight of these amazing kids by creating a virtual experience of their commute to help raise awareness – and eventually funds – to build a school that’s in their backyard.”
The ultimate goal of the campaign is to drive donations in order to raise enough money to build another school closer to the children’s homes—so they have an alternative to working in diamond mines.
“There are children in Sierra Leone who put more mileage on their feet than we do on our cars daily. That’s something we have the power to change,” noted Greg Buri, creative director, David&Goliath.
“Education is a scarce resource there and it shouldn’t be, or anywhere. By partnering with Shine On Sierra Leone, our hope is that 9milescroll.com will give people a new appreciation for just how far children go for the opportunity to learn and support their journey.”
“9milescroll.com is so powerful…my memories started activating when I used to walk alone, by myself to school and back home…Wondering where my mom and dad were. Back then I was living with my Aunty in Kenema without my parents from age 4yrs to 6yrs. 9 Miles is so deep that it made me cry. I personally forgot about all those lonely, long and scary walks!! Amazing!” ~ Awa Kamara [native Sierra Leonean designer, who currently lives in Austria]
Credits:
Agency: David&Goliath, LA
Founder & Chairman: David Angelo
Chief Creative Officer: Bobby Pearce
Creative Director/Copywriter: Greg Buri
Creative Director/Art Director: Raul Garcia
Senior Designer: Katherine Ahn
Associate Creative Directors: Bernice Chao & Chris Mead
Group Account Director: Stacia Parseghian
Associate Head of Strategy: Kristen Knape
Account Supervisor: Lauren Gluck
Senior Project Manager: Nita Smith
Digital Analytics Manager: Shaun Jacobs
Senior Social Media Strategist: Natalie Gomez
Junior Social Media Strategist: Noelle Suarez
Director of Digital Production: Peter Bassett
Senior Digital Producer: Noah Luger
Senior Developer: Ben Smith
User Experience Design: John Randall
Developer: Mariano Echegoyen
Sr Digital Designer: Tim Hagan
Digital Designer: Meagan Steincamp
Mix Facility: Lime Studios
Audio Engineer: Peter Lapinski
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Editing: Spinach LA
Editor: Juan Pablo Digenio
Managing Director: Adam Bright
Executive Producer: Jonathan Carpio