How many people could a cup of coffee feed?
Ever wonder how many children you could feed with the equivalent of what it costs for your morning cup of coffee?
A new social media engagement platform launched by the United Nations World Food Program is doing just that with WeFeedback. The online “Feedback Calculater” helps people work out how many children they could feed if they donated the cost of a favourite food item, like sushi, ice-cream, or hot dog, and even a cup of coffee.
Through online social networks, followers of WeFeedback can track, in real-time, how many children their community is feeding and what popular food items are being donated in different parts of the world.
“Individual giving is playing an increasingly important role in mobilising funds for the hungry, and WeFeedback is providing a portal into this brave new world of philanthropy,” said Nancy Roman, Director of WFP’s Communications, Public Policy and Private Partnership Division.
“WeFeedback allows people to share food and activate their social networks, transforming something as simple as a cup of coffee or a sandwich into funds that can change the lives of hungry children forever.”
Since its roll-out, WeFeedback has discovered that participants from the United States are “feeding back” the most sushi, while the world leaders for feeding back pizza, are not Italians, but citizens of Montenegro. So far, one of the most popular “Feedback” items is birthday cake, but participants have also fed back glasses of wine, cappuccinos and Mexican burritos.
“Just a few weeks into the launch, WeFeedback has already raised enough money to feed more than 100,000 children. “As WeFeedback continues to grow in popularity, we have the real opportunity to reach millions of children with the right food and nutrition they need to grow and develop their full physical and intellectual potential,” Nancy added.
So far, WeFeedback has been rolled out in English, French, Spanish and Italian language versions. Among the private-sector partners that have already signed up to the WeFeedback campaign are Microsoft, Paypal, The Duffy Agency, and Foodspotting.
