Bigpoint teams up with the UN and Saatchi & Saatchi Frankfurt to create awareness for the world’s water problems.
Hamburg, 22 March 2013 – As of today Farmerama, the online farm simulator game published by Bigpoint, is caught in the midst of a debilitating drought. More than 45 million farmers are shocked to find their once blue rivers gone brown and lush fields turned to plots of dust, while their animals are dying of thirst.
Just in time for World Water Day, Farmerama is tasking farmers for five days with challenging quests to call attention to water problems facing the world. The quest centers around players working together to undo the grime caused by Borsty, the filthy industrialist pig. The countryside took a dramatic turn for the worse after Borsty began using cheap machinery to fill his greedy pockets with profits at the expense of the eco-system. In line with the event theme “Water Cooperation,” every farmer is being called on to work together and take on Borsty in an effort to restore order to the environment.
The lighthearted quest facing farmers in the online world is unfortunately a tragic reality for millions around the world living in regions fraught with drought and damaging water shortages.
“The sole way to create awareness for this appalling situation is to spread the word online. Access to potable water is no matter of course for far too many people around the globe. By working together, however, we can all take the necessary steps to ratify this important issue,” says Khaled Helioui, Managing Director of Bigpoint, who himself supports a non-profit organization that initiates water projects in the world.
By creating the event Bigpoint is supporting UN Water, the UN mechanism responsible for World Water Day, as well as the FAO’s Ending Hunger Initiative, in a viral campaign to raise awareness for the global water shortage facing small-scale farmers and their families. Donations can be made to FAO via www.farmageddon.eu, the proceeds of which will go directly to families in developing countries. The aim of the project is to raise money to acquire water pumps, reservoirs, piping and other necessary equipment to supply regions in need.
Farmerama’s community has a track record of engaging in charitable projects as evinced by the Pro7 Green Seven week, events with Oxfam, Plant for the Planet and the German Red Cross in Hamburg. The World Water Day event in Farmerama is being jointly developed by Bigpoint and the international marketing agency Saatchi & Saatchi.
About World Water Day
World Water Day (www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013) has been observed on March 22nd since its inception in 1993 and is aimed at raising awareness for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. The theme of World Water Day 2013 is “International Day of Water Cooperation.” World Water Day is coordinated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
About FAO:
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, www.fao.org) leads international initiatives to defeat hunger and create sustainable food supplies. FAO was founded in 1945 as a special agency of the UN; its headquarters are located in Rome. FAO’s EndingHunger Initiative enables young person and interested persons to become actively involved in defeating world hungry during our lifetime.