Innovative Jingles Help Children in Hong Kong Stay Safe During Heatwaves

In an effort to educate children about staying safe during heatwaves, Hong Kong has introduced a catchy jingle, “Let’s Stay Cool and Hydrate.” Designed to help kids remember essential safety measures, the jingle emphasizes the importance of staying cool and hydrated when temperatures soar.

Jingles, short and memorable tunes or slogans, are a powerful tool for conveying messages. The new jingle is part of a broader initiative by Martha Keswick, who has partnered with the Keswick Foundation to create Cope, a series of educational resources aimed at improving children’s disaster resilience. Cope, which stands for the names of the four orphans featured in the series (Candy, Ollie, Ping, and Eddy), has produced books in 15 languages, reaching 3 million children across 25 countries.

Keswick’s initiative includes the creation of animated jingles in collaboration with The Teng Company, a not-for-profit Singaporean arts group. These jingles aim to teach children critical steps for staying safe during various disasters. The heatwave jingle is the first in a series that will also cover floods, landslides, and earthquakes.

The “Let’s Stay Cool and Hydrate” jingle is especially relevant given the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves due to climate change. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the growing number of people exposed to extreme heat worldwide. Hong Kong experienced its hottest summer on record in 2023, with temperatures soaring to an average of 29.7 degrees Celsius (85.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in August.

The jingle’s repetitive and fun nature makes it easy for children to recall important safety steps. By turning essential advice into an engaging tune, the initiative aims to ensure that children are well-prepared to handle extreme weather conditions.

Keswick hopes that these jingles will make complex safety topics more accessible and memorable for both children and adults. “Jingles are a powerful, educational way to engage both children and adults, simplifying such complex topics and making them enjoyable,” she says.

The ultimate goal of Cope is to empower children worldwide with the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe during disasters. By making these crucial messages entertaining and easy to remember, the initiative aims to save lives and promote disaster risk reduction.

With plans to expand the jingle series to cover a range of disasters, Keswick is optimistic about the impact of these educational tools. “We are thrilled with the jingles’ output and hope they succeed in spreading the word about disaster risk reduction even faster, via TV, radio, or the internet,” she adds.

Through innovative approaches like these, Cope continues to advance its mission of equipping children with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate and survive disasters.

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