The topic #LastFamine was among the top trends in Kenya last week as several artists from around the continent came together to fight hunger.
Under the banner African Act 4 Africa, musicians, activists and the public across Africa tweeted leaders from around the continent to compel them to end the perennial food crises that occur every year.
“Today’s (Friday) amazing noise online shows just how passionately people across Africa care about ending hunger once and for all. Now we need to make sure that their tweets do not fall on deaf ears. The #Lastfamine tweets must translate into real action by our governments to make sure that the terrible suffering we have seen this year in Somalia and the Horn of Africa is truly Africa’s last famine. Africans must never be allowed to starve again,” said Anne Mitaru, project coordinator of the Africans Act 4 Africa campaign.
Last week, about 15 Kenyan artists and public figures including Amani, Camp Mulla, Collo, Daddy Owen, Eric Wainaina, Nameless, Sauti Sol, Sara Mitaru, Suzanna Owiyo and the Villagers among others joined a continental campaign to end the unnecessary loss of lives through drought and floods.
The action was also launched in Nigeria at an event attended by singers 2Face Idiba, Lami and Bez and Big Brother Africa winner Uti. In Tanzania celebrities like FidQ and Reuben Ndege took part, while other celebrities such as South African football star Steven Piennar also sent twitter messages of support.
“In West Africa; in Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Northern Nigeria, there is a food crisis happening. We must not let it become a famine. We are saying no to hunger, as African citizens, and we are tweeting heads of state who are on Twitter. No more hunger,” said Mitaru.
Local celebrities used the launch to urge the government to set its priorities right. They argued that it is wrong for people to lose their lives in situations that can be prevented.
“It’s about time this ended totally, and the face of the true Africa is shown out there. Africa is a rich continent, and its just that our resources are mismanaged by government and its time African leaders took responsibility to avoid this kind of thing happening over again,” says award winning songstress Amani.