The Stream

South African aid group wins award for ‘worst use of stereotypes’

Student group nominates ad depicting black child ‘fed like a dog’ for worst charity campaign of 2014.

When do charity ads cross the line from heart-tugging to cringe-worthy? A Norwegian student group is challenging the narratives employed by some foreign aid organisations.

On Tuesday, the Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund (SAIH) held its second annual Rusty Radiator Awards. The group nominated four fundraising videos that use “unfair” portrayals and hinder long-term development. Social media users voted for the video with the “worst use of stereotypes”.

In a live broadcast from Oslo, SAIH awarded this year’s Rusty Radiator to South African aid organisation Feed A Child for the above video.

The television spot sparked controversy after it aired in July. The founder responded to criticism on South African television.