According to Childsafe South Africa, around
8 000 children under the age of 14 die each year
due to preventable accidents and negligence.
Bonitas launched the Just In Case programme with
the overarching objective of providing primary school
learners with safety tips on how to avoid emergencies
and also how to react in case of an emergency.
The initiative delivered safety education to 43 000
learners in schools across South Africa through interactive
theatrical presentations, and educational material. Areas
visited included Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga,
North West, Limpopo and Western Cape.
According to Gerhard Van Emmenis, Principal Officer at
Bonitas, “The Just In Case initiative has been carefully
designed to address a number of safety issues and help
youngsters cope with emergencies – in and out of the
home. It is about preventing unnecessary accidents and
keeping communities safe while hopefully giving children
the confidence to cope in these situations.”
Children as young as five were taught about basic first
aid. The roadshows also focused on the importance of
road and water safety, and provided learners with tips on
how to stay aware of their surroundings. This included
basics about how to help someone who is drowning,
staying alert for stranger danger, and the appropriate
ways of reacting to a fire.
Safety and emergency-related support material was
handed out to the learners and educators. This included
a teacher workbook containing activity sheets to be
incorporated into lessons, learner workbooks and
classroom posters in line with their curriculum.
Miss Nundhkumar, an educator at Northlen Primary
School in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal is complimentary, “This
is a remarkable presentation. We are really honoured to
host Bonitas, and please visit us again as the content was
extremely informative and left us feeling motivated.”
One might ask: Why include this programme? “Our
passion is youth and we believe in brands that want to
educate and empower young people, especially around
important matters like safety. It’s been a great honour
working with Bonitas on this initiative and we look
forward to continue building the programme!” Cuma
Pantshwa, Stakeholder and Client Service Manager at
HDI Youth Marketeers, expresses.
The Just In Case programme ensures that primary school
learners will feel confident and ready to respond in a crisis
situation. Preparation of young children is essential to
reduce negligence and curb current accident statistics.
Quick facts
* 67 schools were visited
* 6 provinces have been visited so far
* 1 097 teachers and 42 576 learners took part
B-Living Issue 4, 2017
Page 8