Using SMS Mass Messaging to Raise Money for Flood Relief in Pakistan

Posted by Umme Kulsoom in Emergency Response, Fundraising, Middle East & North Africa, Mobiles, SMS, Social Networking, Facebook, Online Video, YouTube

The Challenge

July-August 2010 was the most depressing time for the people of Pakistan when the century's biggest catastrophe in the form of floods had hit almost all provinces of Pakistan and almost 20 million people were displaced from their homes and were shifted to IDP ( Internally Displaced Personnel ) camps. Thus the need of relief work followed by rehabilitation was obligatory for all the citizens of Pakistan.

The Players

Umme Kulsoom:  @RJ_kulsoom is a Social activist and Radio Presenter from Karachi, Pakistan and Youth Exchange and Study Program Alumnus (@yespkalumni)and student of MBA media management. 

iEarn: iEARN is a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 130 countries. iEARN empowers teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies. Over 2,000,000 students each day are engaged in collaborative project work worldwide.

YES Alumni: YES Alumni Pakistan is a program being run by iEARN Pakistan under Society for International Education. Alumni of the Youth Exchange and Study Program and other Active youth participate in all sorts of community service projects all over Pakistan.

The Tools and Tactics

The first and the foremost step was to raise funds for buying groceries and medicines for the people in IDP camps. Me and my colleague spread the word out by sending SMS messages to our families and friends and asked them to forward the word to as many people as they could. We even asked for donations in the form of food and clothes so the people who do not want to give cash, could help the flood victims in that manner. The collection point was our office. We also arranged door to door campaigns all over Pakistan to raise funds and contributions were received in no time. We made use of Facebook and Twitter to reach out people and during 15 days we collected a lump-sum amount of 0.7 million Pakistani Rupees along with clothes for almost 500 people. We bought groceries like flour, water bottles, milk powder, biscuits, rice and other necessary stuff. The goods and clothes were distributed to a camp in Karachi whereas the funds and ration packets prepared in Khyber Pakhtun Khwa and Punjab, were distributed in the camps of their respective region. The @yespkalumni Twitter handle was also used for providing updates on different campaigns that were running at that time in different parts of Pakistan. 

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Stumbling Blocks

Since it was the month of Ramadan and all the volunteers who we asked to come over and help us, were fasting, so the working hours were cut off before sunset. Nevertheless the spirit of all the people was sky rocketing high that they contributed the best of their efforts to make this campaign successful. 

Something other people wanting to plan a campaing like this should remember is that: It has to be planned. Try getting hold of people with strong network of friends on Facebook and Twitter. This certainly helps in gaining trust of people and raising maximum funds in short time. Use the SMS bundle packages available in your country to reach out to a number of people. You can make use of mass messaging softwares too and send SMS to thousands of people with one click. Keep people updated with the progress of your work so that they can become your agents to gather more people and support your cause. The best way to thank the donors can be a thank you card or a phone call. It would give them a sense of achievement and satisfaction that they helped people out. Also their name should be credited on any of the social media ( with their consent ).

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