Khaby Lame is out to make a difference. The most-followed personality on TikTok has been named as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a role that will allow him to witness and combat some of the issues faced by children around the world.
Lame kicked off his partnership with UNICEF (which stands for United Nations Children’s Fund) with a trip to the country where he was born. In Senegal, where 90% of locals work informal jobs, the world’s top TikToker urged his compatriots to reach for the skies. “I tell them to dream big,” Lame said when asked to deliver a message to the nation’s youth.
“It’s a true honor to be appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and be part of an organization that puts children’s rights front and center every day,” Lame added in a statement. “From my own experience as a child fearing poverty, struggling to find my passion at school, and losing my job during the COVID-19 pandemic, to finding my place and calling in the world, I know that all children can thrive when they are given a chance and opportunity.”
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
Lame, who eclipsed Charli D’Amelio to become the most-followed TikToker in 2022, now reaches more than 162 million fans with his silent, hilarious sketches. Since rising to the top of the social media world, Lame has made his Hollywood ambitions clear and has been seen everywhere from Fortnite to the film festival circuit.
On his path to internet fame, Lame has not shied away from political matters. He used his journey to Italian citizenship to exemplify the trials immigrants like him must endure to get recognized by the government in Rome. “It’s not right that a person who lives and grows up with the Italian culture for so many years, and who is clean, still doesn’t have the right to citizenship,” he said at the time.
He’s now continuing to speak out alongside an organization that has turned to social media stars to amplify its message. In a world where Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is not what it used to be, the U.N. has sought collabs with partners as diverse as Moonbug and TikTok. Its first Goodwill Ambassador from the digital space was Lilly Singh, who ascended to that position in 2017. Now, during a time when 60% of all people in Senegal are under 25, the U.N. is hoping that a Gen Z icon can be a source of inspiration.
Other UNICEF Global Ambassadors include Millie Bobby Brown, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Danny Glover, Ricky Martin, Leo Messi, Liam Neeson, and Shakira.
