DP World is proud to launch its ‘Be Safe, Be Smart’ road safety awareness campaign at schools along the EN6 national road in the central Sofala province.
DP World initially launched ‘Be Safe, Be Smart’ in South Africa in 2011, and the awareness campaign focuses on providing road safety education for primary and secondary school students through interactive and informative sessions held at schools.
This year, the goal for the campaign is to reach 100 schools in South Africa and expand it to Mozambique and Namibia. ‘Be Safe, Be Smart’ was launched in July, focusing on the area between Beira Port and Inhamizua Check Point, where children need to cross the EN6 road to get to school. Over 4,300 school children in ten schools have participated in the programme to-date, and 1,800 road safety sashes have been distributed. These sashes act as ‘walking safety belts’ and feature reflective strips to increase the visibility of pedestrians to other road users.
Esha Mansingh, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability: sub-Saharan Africa at DP World, said: “At DP World, we believe that safety is a fundamental right for all children. The ‘Be Safe, Be Smart’ campaign is a testament to our commitment to creating safer communities and empowering young people with the knowledge they need to stay safe on the roads. By educating students on road safety in an engaging and memorable way, we are helping to foster a culture of safety that will benefit these communities for years to come. We are proud to see the positive reception of this campaign in Mozambique and look forward to continuing our efforts to expand its reach and impact across the region.”
Supportedby the school principals and the District Director of Education, the campaign was well-received by students and teachers alike. Through interactive activities including song and dance, students were taught the rules for crossing the road safely, and to be aware of their surroundings when using the roads.
“Since inception, ‘Be Safe, Be Smart’ has reached over 1,6 million learners across almost 2,000 schools in South Africa,” concludes Mansingh. “Now that we have successfully expanded the programme to Mozambique, we look forward to taking this campaign to Namibia in the coming months, and increasing responsible road users in southern Africa.”
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