Engen KlevaKidz hits the East Rand to put safety first

The susceptibility to fires at the Primrose informal settlement on the East Rand has seen hundreds of people left homeless.

Engen KlevaKidz, an educational campaign that uses industrial theatre to engage with and educate learners about the importance of paraffin safety will be visiting Hawk Academy, 12 Main Reef Road, Primrose, Germiston on 19 November at 10am.

Engen Corporate Social Investment Manager, Adhila Hamdulay explains that young children in under-resourced households are often the primary day-time care givers, often looking after their siblings while their parents or guardians are at work.“Without supervision, and uninformed of the multiple dangers associated with using paraffin, children between the ages of 7 and 13 are often vulnerable, and it is these children who are the focus of Engen KlevaKidz,” says Hamdulay.

Since its inception in 2008, Engen KlevaKidz has reached over 281 214 learners in 700 schools across South Africa – from rural villages deep in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape to townships in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Free State.Engen KlevaKidz takes the form of an interactive educational stage drama using engaging characters to relay key safety messages in the learners’ mother tongues including Zulu, Sotho, Xhosa and English, combined with jingles to reinforce the theme.

Superhero safety educator, Mr Wise is the main character who educates young learners about how to identify and use paraffin safely while interacting with “learners” Bongi and Junior, and urges them to be careful when using paraffin.

Stories are used to explain to the learners what to do if paraffin is ingested or inhaled. Mr Wise also focuses on the importance of being clean and washing hands after contact with paraffin, and how to store paraffin safely.“Engen are South Africa’s leading supplier of paraffin through the Laurel Paraffin brand. As a leading provider of petroleum products in South Africa, we take this to heart and are honoured to contribute to the livelihoods and the safety of people,” concludes Hamdulay.

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For more information please contact Gavin Smith, Engen Group Communication Manager,Gavin.Smith@engenoil.com   Tel: +27 21 403 4312   Cell: +27 82 379 1700