Leveraging "Targeted Ad" Technology to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Please help us develop and deploy accurate COVID-19 campaigns in local languages for the most vulnerable in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), such as those living in crowded refugee camps. We have already successfully reached 1.7 million individuals across MEA, with localized content in Arabic, Amharic, Swahili, Chewa, French and English, but more content and targeted ads are needed to reach the most vulnerable across the region.

Background

As COVID-19 began rapidly spreading around the world this month, AMEL sprang into action. The spread of the virus and the efforts to contain it disproportionately impact those most vulnerable everywhere in the world, but at AMEL we were particularly concerned about Africa and the Middle East where millions live in precarious situations, especially refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

AMEL thus began mobilizing its ecosystem of civic activists and respected young leaders across Africa and the Middle East to rise to the challenges posed by COVID-19. AMEL activists are already active in assisting and advocating for vulnerable populations in their communities and they each have local and national networks of young people that can translate and disseminate accurate information about COVID-19 in local languages. To expand the impact, AMEL also began leveraging social media to reach millions of people across Africa and the Middle East with educational content on COVID-19 in local languages. Through targeted ad campaigns on Facebook during just the month since March 16th, AMEL reached 1.7 million individuals across the Middle East and Africa, with content in Arabic, Amharic, Swahili, Chewa, French and English.

Needs

AMEL is fundraising to expand the initiative to:

• Mobilize Thousands of Activists in the AMEL ecosystem to counteract misinformation, develop localized content on COVID-19 - based on vetted sources such as the World Health Organization and the Africa Center for Disease Control - and spread it widely through their communities and countries;
• Educate 100 Million across Africa and the Middle East through targeted advertisements promoting accurate information on COVID-19, how to prevent its spread, and health best practices in localized languages and formats;
• Provide an Online Community for our activists and global supporters to engage in sharing of resources and best practices, online discussions, webinars featuring experts and young leaders in affected countries, lectures and resources on human rights and democracy in times of public emergency, and much more.

Questions or ideas? Contact us on info@amelproject.org.