Twitter campaign keeps people cosy this winter
JOBURG – Since 2010, the twitter community in South Africa has encouraged people via social media platforms to collect blankets for the country’s needy people and over the past six years, thousands of blankets have been collected in the chilly weeks leading up to winter.
Merentia van der Vent, one of the spokespersons for the annual Twitter Blanket Drive (TBD) says, “As winter’s bite fast approaches, we are aware that charities are under a huge amount of pressure to meet the demand for blankets. For us as a twitter community, social responsibility is a serious business and in today’s digital world, we have the power to make significant change, in the area of social development, harnessing the power of social media.”
What started the drive was a single tweet by Melanie Minnaar. The tweet simply asked ‘what if each person on twitter donated a blanket?’ and since then, the movement has exploded and now has a national footprint with campaign drives taking place all over the country.
Serena Constance Grobler, the hostess for the events that are held in Johannesburg when the blankets are distributed, says “Melanie created something that belongs to everyone and while it might be surprising how much has happened since her first tweet, her aspirations for the twitter blanket drive and how far it could go are inspiring. She only dreams enormous blanket dreams. I think because she is only capable of thinking big, that might be the reason it was able to become this big.”
In today’s fast-paced world, using social media to increase community awareness is not only smart, but essential. According to the founder of the campaign, Melanie Minnaar, the drive has injected a true sense of community into the South African twittersphere, as the number of twitter users involved with the drive has grown exponentially since 2010.
This year the official hashtag is #TBD2015 and Serena mentioned that the first nominated charity is in Joburg and is called Women of Vision. The charity is dedicated to upholding dignity, restoring respect and empowering the people in the communities they serve. They have many projects, including the Dignity Handbag (womenofvision.co.za/projects.html). This project provides abused women in the women’s shelter with a handbag filled with toiletries and treats to comfort them during their appearances in court.
“An amazing thing I’ve seen each year is how people want to be a part of getting each blanket to its person. In Joburg, we have had groups of people not only donating blankets, but helping us distribute them to some charities and talking to the people. A blanket alone makes a huge difference, but a blanket with a kind ear and warm words is a really beautiful thing to see in action,” adds Serena.
Get involved in this year’s drive, visit the official TBD Twitter page @TBDAfrica
What do you think about such initiatives being driven through social media? Comment below, and let us know.
