MTN Uses The Powerful Mother’s Voice To Deliver Its “Wear It For Me”
At the beginning of September 2020, COVID-19 cases in Nigeria was at 56,735, with deaths at 1,093. The battle to get people to practise safe precautions during the pandemic has been an uphill one, requiring constant reminders, awareness, convincing and cajoling.
This is why MTN’s “Wear It for Me” initiative is timely and important. Wear It for Me, but that’s not all, I’m also wearing it for you. To guarantee our continued safety and survival in the face of a silent, still unravelling enemy, wear a mask for me.” To drive this message home, MTN has called on the power of a mother’s voice – the symbol of love, protection
and sacrifice in hope that everyone will listen. The mother, the bedrock of the society, is asking her children to wear the mask for her.
It is not the most comfortable request–– but at this point, it is expedient. And beyond whatever personal reservations one might have against wearing a mask, the mom is saying, “wear it for me”.
During the first stage of the spread of COVID-19, when uncertainty filled the air, everyone seemed to be particularly careful as knowledge about the virus and its effects was speculation at best.
Whether it bore similarities and to what extent. Many were inclined not to take chances with their lives, therefore, they religiously washed hands, used their hand sanitizers and wore facemasks while holding a fair amount of suspicion for anyone who seemed remotely ill, or moved too close to them.
To curb the spread of the pandemic, governments closed their borders, and ordered lockdown across cities. Many were stuck home, with news of more cases of the virus on TV and social media for company. Information about the development of vaccines was unclear, and there didn’t seem to be any progress . As the lockdown ban was lifted, and life slowly returned to normal, the only protection we seemed to have was to “Wear a mask”. This instruction has however been particularly challenging to enforce. It is obvious that many doubt the efficacy of simply wearing a mask as protection against a virus that has killed millions globally. Others find it uncomfortable.
As simple as this act is, wearing a mask, especially in public places, limits the spread of
respiratory illnesses including COVID-19. According to the WHO, medical masks can protect people wearing the mask from being infected, as well as prevent those with symptoms. From people speaking, to sneezing, countless respiratory droplets are released into the atmosphere.
Movement and contact spread these droplets far beyond the point of generation, before reaching a suitable host, upon which it can wreak havoc. Wearing a mask properly, over the nose and mouth, is a failsafe way to minimize the release of these droplets and the attendant spread.
According to the MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, “With increasing evidence that masks can limit the spread of COVID-19, and eventually eliminate the disease if worn by 80-90% of the population, we need to do what we can to make a meaningful difference. Wearing a mask is not only about protecting oneself, but about respecting and protecting others”.
Wearing a mask requires that you care, not just about yourself, but also about others. And this is the message from MTN: wear the mask for the people you love. Imagine your mum right now telling you #Wearitforme.
