MEET AMU, A SAFEKIDS AOTEAROA SUPER-SIDEKICK!
Did you know that there are approximately 6,800 hospitalisations each year due to unintentional injuries? Unfortunately, these injuries are a leading cause of preventable death in children under the age of 15 in Aotearoa. That’s why Safekids Aotearoa, a service of Starship, delivers education, resources and awareness campaigns to whānau, community and health professionals to help keep children safe from serious injuries like falls, drowning and incidents on the road. Their work is based on international research, local knowledge and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and in 2021 their wellbeing and injury prevention videos reached more than 1.5 million people on social media. One of Safekids Aotearoa’s superstars is Digital Content Creator, Amu. He’s been making compelling content for Safekids for over four years, creating, filming and editing videos, photos and stories, all to get the vital message out about injury prevention. It’s a cause dear to Amu’s heart, as he spent a lot of time in Starship as a child. “I grew up with a condition called XLH, which meant I was in and out of Starship as a patient. So, it's really cool to be able to give back and work for Starship after being a Starship kid myself.”
Amu loves what he does and the role he plays in helping keep Kiwi kids safe. “Safekids does some awesome work out in the community. We work directly with providers and the community on the frontline. My job is to share the messages of the experts. I’ll try to find interesting and creative ways to share these – that might be through video or even through songs.” It’s a tricky job to get right. As Amu says - “A lot of our work is looking at our messaging and trying to frame our advice as if it’s coming from a trusted friend.” To do that, Amu makes sure he’s basing his work on research. “For instance, we just did a campaign around choking. We looked at some of the research Safekids has done, chose the key messages out of this, and then created supporting content”. And to create that content, it’s important for Amu to talk directly to the people affected by accidents and tell their stories. “We often get to go out to whānau homes that have a story that is relevant to that area. For example, we recently spoke to a mum who had a choking scare with her daughter. Luckily her partner had just done a first aid course and knew what to do. He knew all the steps to help the baby bring up what was stuck in her throat.” Amu loves the community aspect of his role. “We’re often learning from whānau too. So many families do an amazing job raising their children using their cultural knowledge and mātauranga. We highlight and share their great work, which helps keep others safe.”
The team at Safekids Aotearoa has put together a list of safety tips to help keep your family free from injury this summer. Check out more here.
Amu is a wonderful example of a Safekids superstar and a true sidekick, doing good for families in Aotearoa. Alongside the Starship Foundation, Mercury’s generous customers have helped support this vital work. You too can support vital programmes like this by adding a monthly donation of as little as $4.00 to your Mercury bill. A small contribution can make a world of difference.
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