Travelling industrial theatre has set the stage for paraffin safety. Since its inception in 2008, the Engen KlevaKidz campaign has reached 145 000 learners in 436 schools throughout South Africa – from rural villages deep in Limpopo to townships skirting the Eastern Cape.

“Young children in under-resourced households are often the primary daytime care givers, 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 years old are often vulnerable. It is these children who are the focus of the KlevaKidz safety and awareness messages,” says Engen Corporate Social Investment Manager, Mntu Nduvane.

Dovetailing with paraffin safety education in the life skills curricula, the campaign has created increasing engagement and support from educators. Their feedback has stressed the need to expose foundation phase learners to its core messaging.

From 31 August to 11 September 2015, Engen KlevaKidz toured the Mmametlhake Circuit in Mpumalanga where the team visited 20 schools. Safety Officer for the Mpumalanga Department of Education, Mapula Thosago, says: “The awareness campaign was educational and full of fun for both the learners and educators. I wish all the schools in our district could have benefitted from this programme.”

The industrial theatre production takes the form of an interactive educational stage drama.  The format uses a television quiz show environment as a vehicle for relaying the message – in the learners’ mother tongues - combined with a jingle to reinforce the theme.

“Since KlevaKidz is presented in a dramatised way, this is better than bringing the message across only theoretically, says Principal Shosha of Siyazakha Primary School in Gugulethu.

Principal Gqaji of Thaba-Lasoba Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape explains: “The content of the show is very relevant since our learners use paraffin at home. They benefit as they learn that paraffin flames should be put out using sand and soil, not water. They also learn about the wafting technique when smelling paraffin up close.”

The performance has proven to be a powerful medium to stimulate children’s imagination. The takeout messages are explored in pre-and post-behavioural assessment questionnaires illustrating the retention achieved through theatre.

After each show, evaluations are distributed to determine the effectiveness of the production. Essentially it takes the form of a behavioural study measuring shift in knowledge and attendant behaviour with results highlighting the positive impact on children who are given the tools and know-how to deal with paraffin emergencies, storage and handling.

“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 Tasneem Sulaiman-Bray, Engen’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs.

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