The Love Army for Somalia
How getting a plane was just the beginning of a global movement.
By Rob Solomon, GoFundMe CEO.
It was an idea too crazy to work.
Jérôme Jarre and his friends Casey Neistat, Juanpa Zurita, Chakabars Clarke, and Ben Stiller wanted to do something about the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, and they knew the old-school methods of helping out weren’t going to cut it. So they decided to try something new.
One wild idea and a few tweets later, they got a plane. In fact, they didn’t just get a plane — they got a promise from Turkish Airlines to let them ship food on their aircraft to Somalia until the end of the famine. And that’s how one of the most powerful campaigns we’ve ever seen on GoFundMe got started.
“The Love Army for Somalia” quickly spread and was shared across social media everywhere. Donors came together from more than 125 countries, with nearly 100,000 people raising more than $2.5 million. People all across the world, from all walks of life, helped make a real difference with just $5, $10, or $20 at a time to help alleviate the horrible famine conditions in Somalia.
What started as just an idea — and a crazy one, at that — swiftly became a movement.
The Love Army mobilized regular people across the globe, and soon 60 tons of food for malnourished babies were on their way to Somalia. Another 600 tons of food and 2.8 million liters of water have been distributed. And Chakabars and Jérôme have been documenting the incredible people they’ve been meeting on this journey.
But as Jérôme reports in his latest campaign update, things are getting worse in Somalia. In many places, people are dying from cholera or severe diarrhea. As he says: “There is no time to lose. And we need more help.”
The Love Army needs to mobilize again. Jérôme and team have raised their goal to $3 million, and I know the tens of thousands of “soldiers” in this army can step up for this critical mission.
This campaign has already proven the huge impact that can be achieved when lots of people open their hearts and give what they can. Small amounts add up — and save lives.
So let’s get this done. Support the Love Army today.
Want to know more about the Love Army? Check out these video updates.
