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Khaby Lame, the world’s most followed TikToker, has been announced as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
The appointment of the Italy-raised social media star was announced during a four-day trip to his native Senegal, to meet children and young people driving positive change in the country.
Lame joins a long list of Goodwill Ambassadors which also include Ishmael Beah, David Beckham, Orlando Bloom, Millie Bobby Brown, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Danny Glover, Angelique Kidjo, Ricky Martin, Leo Messi, Vanessa Nakate, Liam Neeson, Katy Perry, and Shakira.
His appointment by the United Nations Children’s Fund comes amid uncertainty over TikTok’s future in the U.S. amid demands its China-based parent company ByteDance sells the platform, over security fears.
Lame made his name at the tail-end of the Covid-pandemic for his silent TikTok posts making fun of life-hack videos, kicking off with short film of him peeling a banana with his hands.
Today, he has 162.4M followers on TikTok, putting him ahead of U.S. influencers Charli D’Amelio and MrBeast, who are currently the second and third most followed TikTokers with 157.4M and 113.9 million followers each.
Lame’s success follows a tough start in life.
“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,” said Lame.
“It’s a true honour to be appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and be part of an organisation that puts children’s rights front and centre every day.”
Lame moved to Italy when he was one year old with his Senegalese parents and grew up in a social housing complex in the town of Chivasso, on the edge of the northern industrial city of Turin.
He struggled at school due to dyslexia and dyscalculia. His parents sent him to a Quranic school in Dakar for a time, but Lame says he has always considered himself to be Italian. He was officially granted nationality in August 2022.
“We are thrilled to welcome Khaby Lame to the UNICEF family as a Goodwill Ambassador.” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “His creativity and unique perspective on the world have inspired hundreds of millions of followers, and will continue to motivate others in raising their voices and telling their stories in their own unique ways.”
During his visit to Senegal, Lame met street-connected children at a shelter in Dakar, playing sports together and listening to their stories of how many had fled violence, abuse and exploitation. Other visits included to inclusive school for children with disabilities giving them access to assistive technology to learn and thrive, where he played a football game with blind children.
“I’ve met many young people who are standing up in their communities and making a change – be it learning technology skills, finding solutions for climate change, or empowering each other with ways to stay safe from violence,” said Lame.
