‘Longest Twitter thread ever’ simulates a Kenyan girl’s 5.6-mile daily walk to fresh water

Water charity Just a Drop has posted what it says is the longest Twitter thread ever, documenting a young Kenyan girl’s treacherous daily journey to collect fresh water. The campaign, “The Walk to the Well,” launched last week on World Water Day to raise awareness for people around the world who don’t have easy access to clean water sources. Just a Drop, a U.K.-based foundation, created the campaign with their agency of record VCCP London. The Twitter thread, which begins with the post below and takes roughly an hour to scroll through, follows Ann as she collects water for her community in Mwingi West, Kenya. Drone shots and accompanying text portray Ann’s daily 5.6-mile trek, with all of the physical and mental obstacles she endures along the way. I’m Ann and I have no choice but to walk 9km every single day, just to collect water. How far can you get on my #WalktotheWell? Scroll through the [thread] below now and ❤️ the tweet you reach to find out the distance you’ve walked.#WorldWaterDay pic.twitter.com/JXqh78Qgqx “To raise awareness of the work and show how someone’s potential can be limited when their access to water is restricted, we are challenging people to scroll through the longest Twitter thread ever to show how far people need to go,” said Fiona Jeffery OBE, founder and chairman of Just a Drop. “We must all know the value of water.” Just a Drop doesn’t expect everyone to read through the whole thread, so instead, the charity asks readers to like the last tweet they do read. An automatic reply shows the equivalent physical distance they would have walked. Several celebrities have expressed their support for “The Walk to the Well,” including Stanley Tucci, Alexander Armstrong, Michelle Heaton, Gok Wan, Gordan Buchanan, Tracey Edwards and Stephen Sackur. Some 771 million people lack access to safe water, according to the foundation Water.org. Just a Drop has reached 1.9 million people across 32 countries since its founding in 1998. The charity currently aids people in Kenya, India, Cambodia, Uganda, Nicaragua and Zambia. “This is the type of work we all get in the industry to make,” said Laura Muse, creative director at VCCP. “A simple, beautiful idea that will deliver real change for thousands of people." VCCP also worked with agencies Posterscope and Maxx Media to display footage of Ann’s walk on digital billboards around the U.K., encouraging passersby to donate. VCCP presented “The Walk to the Well” on behalf of Just a Drop for the annual #PoweredByTweets challenge, in which the winner receives financial and technical assistance from Twitter for their creative campaign.

‘Longest Twitter thread ever’ simulates a Kenyan girl’s 5.6-mile daily walk to fresh water

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