Experience the thrill of a live concert from the comfort and safety of your own home during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to Facebook and the International Red Cross, you can join the #AfricaTogether virtual concert and two-day festival on June 4th and 5th.
The event will feature performances by renowned artists from Africa such as Aramide, Ayo, Femi Kuti, Ferre Gola, Salatiel, Serge Beynaud, Patoranking, Youssou N’dour and many others. It will also include a digital awareness campaign with prevention messages developed with health experts from the Red Cross and Red Crescent, targeting Facebook users in 48 countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
The English show on June 4th will be hosted by the popular Nigerian actor and comedian Basketmouth, while the French show on June 5th will be hosted by media personality Claudy Siar. Viewers can tune in to the Facebook Africa page and Red Cross and Red Crescent Facebook pages to watch the live shows. For more information and to register, visit the Facebook event pages in English and French.
According to Mamadou Sow, a long-serving member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, “The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that affects everyone, regardless of borders, ethnicities, or religions. Music is a powerful uniting force, and we hope that the #AfricaTogether festival will bring renewed hope and action against this dangerous disease.”
Jocelyne Muhutu-Rémy, Facebook’s Strategic Media Partnerships Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, added, “The spike in the use of online tools during the Covid-19 pandemic shows the social usefulness of digital platforms in difficult times. The #AfricaTogether campaign will enable people to learn more about fighting Covid-19 while enjoying entertainment from their favorite African performers. We will be spreading joy in a way that doesn’t spread the disease.”
This event is just one of the ways that Facebook and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are contributing to the fight against Covid-19 across the continent.
Facebook’s efforts include partnering with organizations like health agencies and NGOs to share accurate information about the situation and launching Covid-19 Information Centers in more than 40 countries. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is actively combatting Covid-19 in communities through information campaigns, providing soap and access to clean water, and supporting health care facilities and workers with training, equipment, and supplies.
Covid-19 is another layer of crisis in parts of Africa, on top of conflict, violence, or climate disasters