Trocaire (Caritas Ireland) and social networking website Bebo have launched a new online series to show people the reality of trying to survive in war-torn, violent countries like Sudan.
‘Osman’s Run’ is a video diary about a young boy called Osman, from Darfur, who has fled his home after his family was attacked by armed men. Osman records his diary on his father’s mobile phone and sends it back to his cousin in London – only to discover the messages are being received instead by an Irish student called Kevin.
Osman sends messages to Kevin almost daily showing the danger, fear and hardship he endures as he tries to stay alive and find this father. Kevin uploads the messages onto Bebo to try to get help for Osman and figure out what is happening.
Osman’s Run comes during Trocaire’s Lenten campaign, the organisation’s biggest campaign of the year. According to Justin Kilcullen Director of Trocaire, “the whole idea of working with Bebo is for Trocaire to let young people know what’s going on in the world. The world is a big place where 26 million people have been forced from their homes because of war, where one in seven people don’t have enough food to survive. We hope Osman’s Run will show young people a side of the world they don’t normally see in their daily lives either through Bebo or on TV”
Osman’s run is online at www.bebo.com/bebotrocaire
