During the COVID pandemic, schools across the globe were closed down immediately, exposing more than 897 million children to lifethreatening issues like domestic violence, child labour and crime. The EU and UNICEF launched a joint appeal to policy makers everywhere urging them to keep schools for young children open as long as possible.To convey the possible consequences of their decision in an emotional way, we created a frighteningly realistic film based on real-life testimonials from children in different parts of the world.To denounce the fact that governments often turn to quick fixes, even for complex issues like this one, we told the story of these children in the form of a ‘5 step video tutorial’ common to frivolous news sites and blogs. The film was spread across all continents with the help of a global PR plan. Within a week, the video reached more than 15 million views.
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, schools have been closed all over the world. This violates one of the most fundamental rights of children: the right to education. More than 897 million children worldwide bear the consequences, both in the short and long term. Because for many children with a difficult home situation, school is not just about education, but above all about being able to go to a safe place. In the long term, children who are denied access to education risk ending up in child labour, crime or situations of abuse more quickly.