With the recent rise in sexual abuse incidents against children in Pakistan, following seven-year-old Zainab’s brutal rape and murder, there has been an immediate outcry and effort into the physical materialisation of agendas in the society that cater to this ongoing issue.
Now, local brands such as Knorr, have taken an initiative from within, to resolve the matter for us. The #AikZarooriBaat campaign sensitizes children, most vulnerable to these problems, on how to stay safe in an easily understandable manner that would appeal to them.
While of course, this is a tricky subject to talk about, the brand has made the discussion extremely child-friendly by rolling out a string of videos that feature its famous animated characters, ‘Chuck and Chatty’.
“Stranger danger hai“
This is probably the very first and basic rule parents try to teach their children in their juvenile years; strangers are dangerous and should not be trusted. They should not talk to them, seek help or accept any item from them (may it be gifts/toys/candies); hence nothing should be accepted from anyone without their parents’ permission.
Here’s how Knorr teaches kids about strangers in their video:
“Say no to bad touch”
The second most important rule for a child to follow in his/her early age is that no one can touch them in any way that makes them feel uncomfortable; therefore, they need to understand the difference between “good touch” and “bad touch”, and they most certainly have the right to control who comes in any sort of physical contact with them, even “if it is to just pat them on the head.”
Here’s how Knorr teaches children about the essence of “bad touch” in their video:
Knorr has certainly set the bar by taking the first step in educating the country and its children on how to overcome the issue at hand.
While one dimension of the problem our country faces has definitely been addressed, parents and caregivers now need to take the discussion forward and use these videos as conversation starters for more detailed discussions on the topic. Moreover, they need to give children the voice to speak about these issues without any reluctance or fear of being embarrassed.
Kudos to Knorr for their much-needed and brilliant initiative in catering to a safer and healthier environment.