#BattingforWater - WaterAid India
The nonprofit is asking to help India to defend itself against COVID-19 by bringing water to those who need it the most
Can you play with a broken-bat or 25% broken?
Chances are that you will not be able to defend your stumps. Not even if you are an international cricket player.
One of the reasons that got me hooked to the video - Why are cricketers playing with a broken-bat and what’s the connection with WaterAid India. It was evident that there is a layered messaging but what could it be with a broken-bat?
Watch.
Well, the pitch by Water Aid India is that the country won’t be able to fight COVID-19 and other infectious diseases unless the citizens receive clean drinking water. Since one in four households receive clean drinking water, the nonprofit organization that has been working in India since 1986 demonstrates the impact by asking cricketers to play with only 25% of the bat.
The proposition is a far-fetched one but it ignites interest when you see a small piece of bat being used to defend your stumps. It is interesting to watch how Cyrus Broacha defends.
Meanwhile, the likes of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandana and Akshay Kumar are also supporting the cause. He is the face for Mission Panni - a joint initiative by Network18 and Harpic. In the course of the waterthon our Bollywood star walked 21Kms on the treadmill to feel the pain of a woman who walks a similar distance to fetch clean drinking water. Just that the star did inside the studio on a treadmill. Even though can feel the pain in his face. You can?
Okay, let’s not make it a political conversation. I don’t want to be called an anti-national.
Clean drinking water should be a fundamental right but that has never been the case. Today the water crisis in India is far more critical than the ongoing pandemic. More than 50% of the population has no access to safe drinking water and about 200,000 people die every year for lack of access to safe water.
Policy think-tank NITI Aayog, in a report, has said that 600 million Indians already face “high to extreme water stress", adding that 21 cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people.
One of the reasons why the problem gains importance in Nirmala Sitharaman’s second budget speech. An outlay of Rs 50,011 crore has been announced for the water crisis problem along with a mission (12th attempt) to connect every household with tap water. This time the target year is 2024.
The Indian government has announced comprehensive measures to address the shortage in 100 water-stressed districts as part of the 16-point action plan for the agriculture sector.
“Under the banner of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan water conservation campaign, the focus is on rainwater harvesting and water conservation. Other initiatives include the renovation of traditional water bodies and tanks, reuse of water and recharge structures, watershed development and intensive afforestation.”
#BattingforWater
With its latest campaign #BattingforWater, WaterAid India is not only raising awareness in a language that the country adheres to (cricket) but is also asking people to join the cause and support it.
Why can’t we just say “Donate Here” or “Donate Now”. Why confuse with terminologies like “Support Now”. IMO simplification is the key and when the job is asking for money just be direct and make it easy for everyone.
The campaign has a dedicated micro page or donation page which is the highlight of the website. That’s how it should be but optimise on mobile? I guess it will happen as the home page was updated while I was writing the post.
Moving forward the donation page is verbose and text-heavy. But one good thing is that the cover image has a “Donate Now” link that takes you straight to the bottom of the page where you can make the donation. Not sure if a donor will test links on the donation page? She wants to donate and leave. Let’s not complicate.
Also, why do you want to tell a donor on a donation page on the ways to pledge your support on Twitter?
The job of the donation page is to have basic details of the campaign, a smooth payment process, and showcasing the trust that the transaction is secured.
Besides, do you really need those celebrity quotes and images? Show them on the home page and blog.
The problem is that the donation page of the web has been optimised for mobile without giving any thought to the mobile experience. We fail to understand that both devices are different and demand unique experience.
Additionally, the Nonprofit has a long list of personal details. It also wants to know Country, Nationality and “How did you hear about us?” The data gathering page is also asking if the donor would like to subscribe for newsletter updates. Do we really need to complicate and increase the anxiety for the donor?
WaterAid India has also not used the blog to update or document the entire journey so far about the campaign. Not sure how it is communicating the same with its existing donors. Since I have subscribed to the email updates a while ago I am yet to receive any communication about the campaign or activities from the nonprofit.
Like most of the nonprofit engagement campaigns, this one also focuses on traditional mediums and social media for engagement. While ignoring the mediums that it owns which is disappointing if you are encouraging individual giving online.
A little better planning obviously will have far more impact for WaterAid India since it is focussing on digital fundraising.