Kock Street 61, Potchefstroom, 2531 072 524 4191 / 083 460 3710 kreativmediahub@gmail.com www.kreativmediahub.com
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Put Your Foot Down A teenager’s amazing initiative to help young victims of sexual abuse What our cause is about
KARA VAN DER MERWE
Put Your Foot Down is a unique South African social media campaign that encourages young and old to take a stand against sexual abuse and violence against children. People can take part by capturing photos of their feet,
posting it on social media with the hashtag (#putyourfootdown or #sitjouvoetneer) and making a donation. The Put
Your Foot Down campaign aims to raise funds for organisations that offer assistance specifically to victims of child sexual abuse. Currently, all of the donations are going towards Childline. The campaign was founded by KARA VAN DER MERWE (15) from Potchefstroom who was inspired to take action after she played the role of a young victim of sexual abuse in the movie Dis ek, Anna – based on the bestseller by Anchien Troskie. This film has been described as one of the best South African films and it received glowing reviews when it was released in October 2015. Dis ek, Anna’s story deals with the sexual abuse of Anna Bruwer by her stepfather. Kara plays the role of Carli, Anna’s sister who also suffered abuse by the same perpetrator. When Kara approached the producers of the film with an idea for a charity, they embraced the Put Your Foot Down
campaign as its official marketing campaign. To children caught in a cycle of sexual abuse, this campaign sends a crucial message: they are not alone, there is help out there and many people care. Kara not only wants to create awareness and support through this campaign, but she also wants to be a voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. “Many cases of abuse never get reported, which means that these children never get help. You often hear adults say that it’s ‘just a child’ and that he or she can’t do anything. I disagree. Kids can do a lot! With this initiative we want to inspire young and old to make a difference,” says Kara. The Put Your Foot Down Foundation was started in July 2015 and soon after we applied for registration as a non-profit organisation. Kreativmedia Hub (KMHUB), a Potchefstroom-based PR/Media/Design Agency, was asked to promote the campaign. To date, all work done by KMHUB has been pro bono.
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What has been achieved?
A strategic plan was developed in 2015 to ensure that the Put Your Foot Down campaign gets maximum exposure and public participation.
Social Media Campaign •
Main focus: promoting the project to create awareness about child abuse.
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Platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts were opened and within 24 hours, the Facebook page had more than 1 000 likes. We reached the 6 000-likes benchmark in December 2015 and it continues to grow daily.
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Thousands of people have already put their feet down. Also, many local celebrities have come on board: Vinette Ebrahim, Francois van Coke, Caster Semenya, Jack Parrow, Marita van der Vyver, Anchien Troskie, Erik Holm and Gert Johan Coetzee, to mention a few.
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Beauty takes a stand: Janet Potgieter (Mrs Africa Globe) inspired beauty queens from across the globe to also take part in the campaign.
Official Website A website was developed where all of the campaign’s content and comprehensive background information is shared. See www.sitjouvoetneer.co.za
Our Own Anthem A songwriting competition was launched with a winning song, The Beat of Our Feet, by Susan Booyens and music by Anton Pottas. It was performed by the North West Children’s Choir at the opening of the Put Your Foot Down exhibition, which took place during the Aardklop Arts Festival in Potchefstroom. This event played an important part in the promotion of the campaign as it was attended by hundreds of people.
Photo Sessions •
Photo sessions have been organised for prominent South Africans to take pictures of their feet in support of the campaign.
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One of these photo sessions involved the actors and crew members of the popular soapies Binnelanders & 7de Laan. Photos and video clips were shared across all social media platforms and the website.
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Janet Potgieter also organised several sessions and assisted the campaign during the week of the Aardklop Arts Festival. Beauty pageant winners from all over the world have put their feet down.
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At the official premier of the movie Dis ek, Anna in Rosebank, KMHUB organised a professional photographer to take photos of all the celebrities, actors and crew members attending the event.
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Dis ek, Anna se akteurs en produksiespan sit hul voete neer teen kindermolestering. Sit jou voet ook neer by www.disek.co.za en help jong slagoffers van seksgeweld.
Aardklop Snowflake Project
During the Aardklop Arts Festival in Potchefstroom in October 2015 the Put Your Foot Down campaign made use of the entire third floor in the Snowflake Building. This formed part of the Snowflake’s social awareness campaign which has been run for the past five years by its owners. The programme consisted of the following and attracted hundreds of visitors: • An extensive exhibition with photos, photo collages, art works and video clips from participants. • Posters, banners, flyers and invitations to activities. • An opening event with Charlene Brouwer, the lead actor in the film Dis ek, Anna, as well as the producer, Niel van Deventer. • A Mother & Daughter Lunch was organised by Kara’s parents and, amongst others, attended by Janet Potgieter, Mrs Africa Globe. Her assistant worked pro bono for the entire festival and spent time networking, helping with donations for Childline and taking photographs. • The one-man theatre production Die Pruimboom premiered in the Snowflake Building, performed and written by the renowned actor and producer Jan Groenewald. Die Pruimboom is a harrowing account of his experience of sexual abuse as a child and was directed by well-known actor Erik Holm.
Other Events • • • •
CTU Potjiekosdag The Life Market Exhibition Gimnasium High School Photo Exhibition Veerpen Uitgewers launch
Media Coverage
In a short space of time Put Your Foot Down has received a lot of media attention. To mention but a few: • eNCA – A 3 minute spot on the main TV news bulletin, reported by Daniëlla van Heerden • Huisgenoot – Articles appeared on their website as well as their Facebook page • RSG Monitor morning news show – Kara was interviewed by Ivor Price • Maroela Media – Radio interview & article published online • PukFM – Live interview with Kara • Radio Laeveld – Live interview with Kara • Record East community newspaper – An in-depth article about the campaign • NorthWest Independent – Several articles have been published • Potchefstroom Gimnasium’s Sasima Newspaper – Articles published in two editions • Potchefstroom Herald – Extensive news coverage • Ontbytsake (TV Show on kykNET) – Interview with Kara • Jacaranda 94.2 - Radio interview with Kara Kara has been invited to many events to talk about her campaign - her calendar for 2016 is filling up rapidly. Her passion for this cause, combined with her dynamic personality, makes her a popular public speaker.
• Estimated value of media coverage up to now: ±R450 000 7
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Young entrepreneur boosts Put Your Foot Down with sneaker project A dynamic school girl from Pretoria will join Kara in 2016 to take Put Your Foot Down to even greater heights. What started as a request from Katrina Robinson’s (16) father to do “something about” his white sneakers, evolved into grafFEETi. Other people saw the funky sneakers and ordered a pair of their own. Textile pens give her the freedom to make unique designs – each personalised according to the request of the proud owner, ranging from the choice of colours to preferred imagery. The pay-off line, “From hand to foot”, is a play on the concept of the handmade element for grafFEETi’s footwear. When Katrina heard about the Put Your Foot Down Foundation she immediately agreed to come on board. She saw Dis ek, Anna and was deeply moved and inspired. “I believe you can make a difference and it is important for young people to get involved in social issues. I am putting my foot down,” says Katrina. She is looking forward to going down this road of raising awareness. * Katrina has her own website: www.graffeeti.co.za.
What we need to go forward •
The Put Your Foot Down Foundation has been relying on the goodwill of family, friends and the local business sector in Potchefstroom. All work that has been done thus far has been pro bono, but unfortunately no charity can go forward with goodwill alone. Kara’s parents have invested a lot of their own resources and money to carry the campaign. No donations to Put Your Foot Down have been used to pay for the considerable administration or the marketing and promotion of the project.
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Running this kind of campaign takes long-term commitment and expertise. It is a project that demands time and energy as well as considerable resources. To build on this strong foundation and to continue the important work Put Your Foot Down is doing, we have to rely on outside support.
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We are seeking a sponsorship to help fund the future administration and dedicated marketing of the Put Your Foot Down Foundation. We are looking for a long-term commitment that will be beneficial to both the Foundation as well as the sponsor.
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We are organising a massive outreach to create awareness about child sexual abuse in 2016. We are planning a national tour with the Put Your Foot Down team visiting towns all over South Africa to give talks at schools and community organisations. We plan to make a documentary of this tour to include the stories of many victims of sexual abuse that would not be otherwise heard. This awareness campaign will only be possible if we get sufficient sponsorships.
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Our biggest success Because of our positive, pro-active approach we have achieved substantial public participation. Based on the feedback we’re getting, we have already achieved several important goals. We have increased awareness about child sexual abuse, but even more importantly, this campaign is giving hope to victims and empowering them to get expert help from organisations such as Childline.
Benefits of being part of this sponsorship
1. Put Your Foot Down is now a well-established and respected charity. The campaign’s reach has been extended by its involvement with the highly-acclaimed film Dis ek, Anna and we have achieved
massive awareness that will certainly benefit any potential partner. 2. This cause is something most people feel passionate about and positive public engagement is a given. 3. It offers unique marketing and publicity opportunities through our extensive social media reach, our
wide network of media connections as well as other events we are planning. 4. Our existing network of dedicated supporters and our database can be uitilised effectively to generate publicity for a company. 5. Our website lends itself to be linked to an appropriate sponsor and collaboration with different entities. 6. Connecting with Put Your Foot Down will offer credibility by association. 7. Our finances are being managed by a reputable legal firm, Butler Attorneys, and a sponsor would have no concerns in terms of transparency or accountability. 8. It is the perfect opportunity for a company looking for a social responsibility campaign that can make a real difference to ensure a safe and happy future for all our children.
What we are asking We are seeking an opportunity to meet you in person to discuss the possibility of a sponsorship to assist us with the administration of the Foundation so that all the money Kara collects can go directly to the cause it is intended for – helping young victims of sexual abuse. We are open to any suggestions that can assist us in making Put Your Foot Down one of South Africa’s most effective charities. We look forward to hearing from you. Please contact us if you need any more information.
Hannelie Booyens, Media Practitioner: KMHUB 083 460 3710 hannelie.booyens@gmail.com January 2016
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Put Your Foot Down’s Anthem
The Beat of Our Feet In a dark place Tears down your face It hurts inside Just want to hide It feels all wrong It’s not all right Day becomes night There’s no more light You cry alone Walk on your own But then you meet Some friendly feet And they agree To make you see You’re not to blame It’s not your shame They help you cope And bring back hope [Chorus]
We’re here to say It’s not okay To hurt a kid In any way And hand in hand We plan to stand In every town We’ll put feet down So step by step We’ll build a web That’s very strong And sing our song Dance to the beat With all our feet Put your foot down Do right not wrong Put your foot down And sing along!
Let’s change the news Stop child abuse We need courage Not more damage No more violence No more silence We want to thrive And stay alive To learn and grow And always know You’ll stand by us And walk with us To see us through And love us too Let’s all step up Kids and grownups A child’s story Should be happy [Repeat Chorus]
Lyrics by Susan Booyens, Composed by Anton Pottas
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