Social media is impacting life in Africa at breakneck speed, and it is not just the usual suspects Facebook and Twitter. Clare George-Hilley explores what's happening.

I have participated in a number of high-profile relief effort campaigns in Kenya, The Gambia working with The Glove Project, and Sierra Leone on the Street Child project.

A common challenge for all these humanitarian projects is raising awareness of the issues, securing funding and getting volunteers to help on the ground. But social media is helping to change all this, by providing a new channel for raising awareness that goes towards helping some of the world’s poorest children. These charities make use of Facebook to target supporters and potential volunteers with updates, images and news, and some are using Twitter to engage new potential donors.

Social media sites like TripAdvisor as now also being used for more than just travel information. Log on and you will see these platforms are being used for the coordination and exchange of information about local charities, as I experienced in The Gambia. Many of the volunteers for the local Glove Project campaign have been recruited through browsing the TripAdvisor forums, having been inspired to learn more and get involved. These sites not only demonstrate the new ways these tools are being used, but will inspire a whole new generation of volunteers to support the charities concerned.

Another recent example of where social media can have a huge impact on life in Africa can been seen with the public response to the kidnapping of 230 school girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram terrorists. A dedicated social media campaign, including a Twitter feed calling for the girls to be rescued, has kept the public engaged and led to public interventions from tens of thousands of people around the globe, along with the President of the United States. The social media campaign has also been instrumental in communicating the strong public opinion to elected officials that action had to be taken, meaning a swift response from many countries concerned at the situation.

The explosion in mobile device use in recent years has brought with it increased use of social media tools for communication and rallying support around charity campaigns. Sites like Facebook and Twitter now serve as free and easily accessible platforms for driving engagement with voluntary sector organisations and good causes, attracting a new generation of curious consumers. These platforms also enable charities to educate potential supporters on how they operate and the results they achieve, communicated through endorsements, images and detail which would be impossible to communicate on the high street.

These online tools have already been successfully used by businesses for commercial initiatives and the marketing of key products. This model must be followed by the voluntary sector and other organisations, following on from the African Union’s recommendation that social media channels will enable countries within the continent to project new messages and reach new audiences. By using these sites, citizens can work more quickly to coordinate aid efforts and humanitarian campaigns and continue building up the country’s infrastructure.

Africa is still a continent facing many challenges, from poverty to extremism which will undoubtedly mean a difficult road ahead for its people. But in the social media age, the world now has a duty to engage with these countries and play an active role in making a difference. Social media channels like Twitter and Facebook mean that turning a blind eye to the truth is no longer possible, and we all have a duty to do our bit to change things. A connected Africa brings with it visibility into the continent’s challenges, and through coordinated social media campaigns the rest of the world must help to change things for the better.

Clare George-Hilley is director of communities and social justice at British think tank Parliament Street. Clare leads the organisation’s outreach projects for charities and good causes. She has been a volunteer and coordinator on various projects with charities in Kenya, The Gambia and Sierra Leone.