Prudence Foundation recently partnered with Cartoon Network to launch SAFE STEPS Kids, a new multi-platform safety awareness program designed to equip millions of children with actionable information to help save lives in the event of emergencies or disaster situations.
In 2014, Prudence launched its SAFE STEPS Natural Disaster Program together with the National Geographic Channel, two years after SAFE STEPS expanded its program to Road Safety, and now they’re reaching out to a much younger audience.
THE WHY?
- In the coming decades it is estimated 200 million children each year will have their lives severely disrupted by disasters
- Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among children aged 5 to 14 years old, and 500 children are killed on the roads everyday
- Improved first aid knowledge could lower 16,000 deaths caused by injuries each year, and over 80% of these occur in the home, despite it being seen as a ‘safe’ place
SAFE STEPS Kids focuses on providing life-saving information to children via a series of entertaining videos and education materials featuring beloved cartoon Network characters.
Here in the Philippines, the program was launched last Friday (July 5) via the Townsville Safety Kids Activities Zone at the Manila Ocean Park which will be open until Sunday. The zone is divided into different fun learning areas that teaches kids what to do during the incident of disasters such as fire, earthquake and flood.
Present during the event were Marc Fancy (Executive Director of Prudence Foundation), Ricky Ow (President of Turner Asia Pacific), Xavier Castellanos (Regional Director of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Asia Pacific), Senator Richard Gordon (Chairman and CEO of Philippine Red Cross), Elizabeth Zaballa (Secretary General, Philippine Red Cross) and Allan Tumbaga (SVP and Chief Customer Marketing Officer of Pru Life UK).
SAFE STEPS Kids covers three life-threatening situations, each presented by Cartoon Network’s characters in a child-friendly, relatable and easy-to-understand 50-second public service announcements:
- DISASTERS by The Powerpuff Girls (Fire, Flood, Typhoon and Earthquake)
- FIRST AID by We Bare Bears (Choking, Broken Bones, Burns and Wounds)
- ROAD SAFETY by The Amazing World of Gumball (Seatbelt, Helmet, Pedestrian and Distracted Driving)
The Powerpuff Girls videos have been on air since May 2019 across Cartoon Network’s channel in 8 markets: Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines, reaching 34 million households every day. From August 2019 onwards, the We Bare Bears and The Amazing World of Gumball videos will be released.
In the Philippines, these videos will air on Cartoon Network on Cignal Digital TV Channel 220 (HD), Sky Direct Channel 15 (HD), SkyCable Channel 178 (HD), and Destiny Cable Channel 178 (HD Digital) and on Cartoon Network’s social and online video platforms, websites and apps, including Cartoon Network Watch and Play
The videos will also be hosted on the SAFE STEPS Kids website (www.safestepskids.com) and complement a series of collaterals that will be distributed to schools and communities across the country.