THIS WEEK saw the launch of the Tweetback initiative, which seeks to utilise Twitter to collect funds to support social development in Egypt. The initiative's first target was to collect LE2 million to help develop Ezbet Khairallah, a slum area with 650,000 residents on the outskirts of Maadi. On Tuesday LE1.35 million had already been pledged. The initiative is the brainchild of Mahmoud Salem, better known as the blogger sandmonkey. Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, Salem said that he got the idea while trying to raise political awareness in Ezbet Khairallah following the revolution. "This is not charity, but development," he says. The funds collected will go in support of local NGO Khair wa Baraka which has been working in Ezbet Khairallah since 2004. The initiative invites companies, foundations and individuals to pledge donations to select NGOs and development projects in Egypt. In exchange, Tweetback's network of some of Egypt's most popular twitter bloggers will announce the contributions in Arabic and English to their many followers. Salem told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Tweetback team will only work with reputable NGOs with a proven track record. The Tweetback team brings together 20 of Egypt's most-followed bloggers, including @sandmonkey, @nawarangem, @esseily, @selsirgany, @_Safi_, @ahmedelesseily, @pakinamamer, @noornoor1, @salmaeldaly, @travellerW, @moezmasoud and @ahmednagib.
