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.
To help raise awareness for the nonprofit Shine On Sierra Leone – an organization dedicated to building new schools that bring education closer to the children’s homes – David&Goliath created a powerful campaign that includes 9milescroll.com, 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.
The 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 and so they can pursue their dreams, just as we can pursue ours. At the end of the day, no child should have to embark on this arduous journey just for an education. Now, it’s time to let the world experience it for themselves, and ask: How far would YOU go for an education?
“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,” said 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.”
Tiffany Persons, Founder, Shine On Sierra Leone said, “Although the distance varies from student to student based on the location of village, (some walk 5 miles, some walk 9 miles) one thing remains the same – the thirst for education is powerful and fuels them to walk whatever the distance for the opportunity to learn!”
