The TwitterKids of Tanzania
Hujambo from Tanzania! I’m SO EXCITED to write you because I couldn’t wait to share: on Saturday, in the Moivaro village of Arusha, Tanzania, in the shadow of Mt. Meru, Shepherds Junior School was connected to the internet for the very first time. The students sent their first tweets from the TweetsGiving classroom built from your gratitude.
Imagine: Students who have never even had access to a library now have access to an entire world of information. Children whose voices are seldom heard can now speak, in real time, to people, like you, across the globe. To our knowledge, it is the first classroom of its kind, a classroom in which primary school children in Africa are using twitter to share their lives with, and learn from, the rest of the world.
So often, we hear the stories of children in the so-called “developing” world from the perspective of the media, nonprofits, or friends who have traveled or volunteered. What happens now – when these students can share their own stories, and build relationships with the rest of the world, for themselves? How will the world be different when these children, who live so geographically far away, move into our virtual backyard? What difference will it make in their lives to know that their voices will be heard?
I hope you’re as excited as I am, and want to follow and become part of this world-changing story of the #TwitterKids of Tanzania. To get involved, just check out the emerging discussion below and join the conversation on twitter by sending a tweet directly to any of the children listed, or by following the #twitterkids meme or the #twitterkids Twitter List – @EpicChange/Twitterkids. You can also read & respond to the tweets of a particular child by clicking on their photo below.
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For more details from our recent work here, including video, photos and more in-depth coverage
of all about the work we’ve been up to here in Tanzania on the “I <3 Epic Change" Blog created by our fabulous volunteers Melissa & AJ Leon of theLacProject.
One final note: Remember voting for Ideablob? Your vote made it possible for this school to be connected to the web for the very first time. For that, and for everything you’ve been doing to create Epic Change, I am incredibly grateful ;)
Photos courtesy of Melissa & AJ Leon of theLacProject.
Posted: October 21st, 2009 under The Foundry.
Comments: 28
Comments
Pingback from TweetsGiving — Geeking For Good
Time: October 21, 2009, 6:34 am
[...] night, one of the ‘TwitterKids of Tanzania’ (see #TwitterKids or @ShepherdsJr for related tweets) sent me a message on Twitter. That made my [...]
Comment from Mike Kujawski
Time: October 21, 2009, 9:18 am
This is a brilliant initiative. I will be pointing this out to the folks over at the International Development Research Agency here in Canada when I present to them in a few weeks (re: social media engagement).
Trackback from uberVU – social comments
Time: October 21, 2009, 11:43 am
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by gnomade: RT @PernillaAfrika Meet the Twitterkids of Tanzania @http://bit.ly/CeEaz…
Comment from Jessica Gottlieb
Time: October 21, 2009, 12:00 pm
For anyone lucky enough to get in on the beta for twitter lists, I’ve assembled a list of the kids here:
http://twitter.com/JessicaGottlieb/twitterkids-tanzania#list
I know you think that the kids are the ones learning, but you’re wrong. This project has opened my eyes in ways I’d never expected.
Thank you. Because really this is a gift.
Pingback from The TwitterKids of Tanzania « BuzzingEd Blog
Time: October 21, 2009, 3:56 pm
[...] BuzzingEd Blog Education blog buzzing with new technologies « The Best Tools To Help Develop Global Media Literacy from Larry Ferlazzo The TwitterKids of Tanzania October 21, 2009 If you are undecided about the value or purpose of Twitter then take a quick look at http://epicchangeblog.org/2009/10/21/the-twitterkids-of-tanzania/ [...]
Comment from Pernille
Time: October 21, 2009, 4:54 pm
Hi, I have come across Epic Change before – and I am curious to hear more. I am in fact going to Moivaro Village around November 6 via my work.
Let me know more…
Pernille
Comment from Administrator
Time: October 22, 2009, 12:26 am
Jessica,
Thank you SO much for spreading the word about my friends! For me, this is the true value of twitter, to amplify voices so seldom heard – these kids, i assure you, have something to say ;) And we all need to hear – because you’re right, they have so much to teach us.
Thanks too for the list – now if I were only among the lucky few!!
Stacey
Comment from Administrator
Time: October 22, 2009, 12:28 am
Pernille,
You simply must visit while you’re in town! Jot me an email at stacey@epicchange.org and I’ll send you Mama Lucy’s (the school founder’s) email and cell phone number.
Thanks!
Stacey
Pingback from Thankful Friday: It’s been a week « Me, Myself and Other Things
Time: October 23, 2009, 3:55 am
[...] scheme of things: This is nothing. Right as I write this, my Mondo Beyondo tutor Jen Lemen is in Tanzania changing people’s life. Important, worthwhile and something to consider. Right as I write this, one of my playgroup [...]
Comment from Pernille
Time: October 24, 2009, 1:04 am
Thanks Stacey, I’ll write an email. Thanx! Pernille
Comment from katrinah
Time: October 27, 2009, 3:10 pm
I love this story! Bravo to you Stacey for being the spark that enabled this all to happen. You are so inspiring! : )
Pingback from Tweet Down the Wall at Classroots.org
Time: November 6, 2009, 3:31 pm
[...] sure many of you are familiar with the TwitterKids of Tanzania – students tweeting in English with followers from around the world. I’m also sure many [...]
Pingback from TweetsGiving: Ways to show your gratitude | Socialbrite
Time: November 18, 2009, 5:00 am
[...] the school are now on Twitter and Tumblr and you can follow them all by clicking their pictures in this blog post. The internet has opened up the world for these students and their teachers are increasingly using [...]
Pingback from TweetsgivingRVA: Gratitude Southern Style | RVANews
Time: November 20, 2009, 7:01 am
[...] can also stop by the Gratitude Station (to be run by Salgado) where they can talk with the TwitterKids in Tanzania, hop in the gratitude photo booth, or make a gratitude fortune cookie to take home with [...]
Pingback from THANKSGIVING JUST GOT A BIT MORE SOCIAL « Daily Marauder
Time: November 24, 2009, 1:35 pm
[...] The TwitterKids of Tanzania (epicchangeblog.org) [...]
Pingback from THANKSGIVING JUST GOT A BIT MORE SOCIAL « Daily Marauder
Time: November 24, 2009, 2:14 pm
[...] The TwitterKids of Tanzania (epicchangeblog.org) Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)HAPPY THANKSGIVING: TURKEY DAY FREAK-OUT MOMENTBROADCAST/CABLETECHNOLOGYFun Facts for Thanksgiving Leave a Comment No Comments Yet so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. Leave a comment Click here to cancel reply. Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong> [...]
Pingback from TweetsGiving, el poder de la gratitud | Innovación Social
Time: November 25, 2009, 10:26 am
[...] el dinero a diferentes proyectos: construcciones de colegios, orfanatos, biblioteca, … twitterkids en Arusha, Tanzania, o a algún proyecto de [...]
Pingback from Happy TweetsGiving | iPhone News
Time: November 27, 2009, 11:31 am
[...] The project is the brainchild of a U.S. nonprofit called Epic Change. Last November, Epic Change’s efforts raised $11,000 in 48 hours through hundreds of small donations, which the organization used to help build a classroom at the Tanzania school. Epic Change dubbed the students the “Twitter kids of Tanzania” and encouraged users to send tweets to them via their #Twitterkids blog. [...]
Pingback from It Is Decidely So at Classroots.org
Time: January 2, 2010, 12:54 pm
[...] Docs co-authored by educators in a half-dozen states. This year our humanities class has tweeted Tanzania, begun a whole-class Edmodo book club with @engltchrleo’s class in New Mexico, and started [...]
Pingback from Tweetsgiving « Geeking For Good
Time: January 9, 2010, 6:33 am
[...] night, one of the ‘TwitterKids of Tanzania’ (see #TwitterKids or @ShepherdsJr for related tweets) sent me a message on Twitter. That made my [...]
Pingback from Anonymous
Time: February 6, 2010, 2:11 pm
[...] invited any classes in the ballpark to connect with my kids. We are connecting to kids in Tanzania (http://epicchangeblog.org/2009/10/21/the-twitterkids-of-tanzania/) and I am working out the involvement with schools in Peru, Brazil, China and a couple here in the [...]
Pingback from Looking Back…and Looking Ahead | The Epic Change Blog
Time: February 19, 2010, 12:11 am
[...] work using social media to effect social change with projects like TweetsGiving and the TwitterKids of Tanzania. In 2009, Epic Change was highlighted in a 2009 report by the James Irvine Foundation on trends [...]
Pingback from 10 Tips for Successful Twitter Fundraising | Lounge PK
Time: February 26, 2010, 10:58 pm
[...] she said. “With online tools, there’s no reason they all can’t be kept abreast. The Twitterkids of Tanzania and their participation with their parents and teachers in TweetsGiving are just one example of how [...]
Pingback from 10 Tips for Successful Twitter Fundraising: Mashable.com | Social Media Fundraisers
Time: March 1, 2010, 11:07 pm
[...] she said. “With online tools, there’s no reason they all can’t be kept abreast. The Twitterkids of Tanzania and their participation with their parents and teachers in TweetsGiving are just one example of how [...]
Pingback from Why Do People Trust Brands and Organizations in Social Networks? | Community Organizer 2.0
Time: April 4, 2010, 2:48 pm
[...] Offer added value in the online spaces that you don’t offer elsewhere. Great examples: Seafood Watch offers added value with its iPhone app, BullyingUK displays user-created posters offers on Flickr, and Epic Change highlights the Twitter Kids’ tweetstream. [...]
Pingback from Twitterkids of Tanzania « Gary Edgar
Time: May 1, 2010, 9:56 am
[...] an amazing story over at Epic Change Blog about some school children in Tanzania using the internet for this first time [...]
Pingback from To Mama With Love
Time: May 5, 2010, 7:52 pm
[...] You can find Mama Lucy on Twitter, or blogging at the Epic Change blog. You can also follow her sixth grade class via the TwitterKids of Tanzania. [...]
Pingback from Decorate and Dedicate- This Mothers Day Love Keeps on Giving « wonderwebby
Time: May 8, 2010, 6:26 pm
[...] only takes a minute to dedicate a heartspace to a mother and help to create a boarding facility for these amazing kids in Tanzania . Here are the directions from the [...]
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