The annual Engen KlevaKidz paraffin safety campaign which is celebrating its tenth year, once again puts super hero safety educator, Mr Wise in the starring role.
Engen KlevaKidz is an educational campaign that uses industrial theatre to engage and educate young learners across South Africa about the importance of paraffin safety.
The 2019 edition launched in Limpopo and then traveled to North West, Free State, the Eastern Cape and concludes in the Western Cape.
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 catchy jingles to reinforce the theme.
According to Engen’s head of Transformation and Stakeholder Engagement, Unathi Magida, these life-saving safety messages have reached over a quarter of a million vulnerable children over the past 10 years.
Engen is a South African marketer of illuminating paraffin. Branded Laurel Paraffin, the energy source is extensively used by many South Africans in wick feed and pressure lamps, stoves, refrigerators and heaters, amongst its various industrial applications.
However, the use of paraffin in low-income homes in South Africa is associated with a number of problems such as children who drink it accidentally, the spread of fire, when as many as 2 000 homes can be destroyed in a single blaze, and extensive burn injuries.
“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. The aim is to provide them with the tools and know-how to deal with paraffin emergencies, storage and handling,” adds Magida.
“As a leading provider of petroleum products in South Africa, we take this to heart and are committed to contributing to the livelihoods and the safety of people,” concludes Magida.
