How does an 80% unemployment rate affect the average citizen of Zimbabwe? I have no idea.
But after a cursory search on Facebook or Google, I can give you every detail about the life and death of Cecil the Lion, and his killer.
More importantly I know I can donate to the Oxford University Wildlife Conservation Unit, which studied Cecil. In fact, they’ve raised more than $780,000 since Cecil died.
I’m not sure how I can help with Zimbabwe’s massive unemployment.
After Cecil’s death sparked a firestorm of social media outrage, people across the world, perhaps most notably in Zimbabwe, started asking why people were so worked up over the death of a single lion when so many actual people are suffering in the same country as Cecil.
Zimbabwe’s unemployed don’t have a name. 80% unemployment. What does that even look like? There are 14 million people in Zimbabwe. So if a third of them can work, that’s 4.6 million. 80% of that is 3.7 million. That’s 3.7 million people with no job. That still doesn’t really tug the heartstrings, does it?
Cecil the Lion was an effective catalyst for change because he was one lion, with a name, a face and a story. When trying to capture interest, big numbers are impressive, but they rarely illicit an actionable emotional response. On the other hand, when a big problem like homelessness, high school dropout rates or poaching is given an individual with a name, story and “click here to help” button, you bypass the confusion of the mind trying to process percentages and populations and hit people in the heart, with empathy.
So rather than growing hoarse trying to make people realize their help is needed, give them a face, give them a story and make them feel something. Then, and only then, call them to action.
Photo courtesy of Ed Hetherington