CPFSA Introduces Child Protection Mascot To St. Ann Students

Screams of excitement punctuated the air on Tuesday (May 3) as students from primary and infant schools across Northeast St. Ann came face-to-face with the Child Protection and Family Services (CPFSA) mascot, ‘Mr. Protector’, which was designed by a primary-school student.

The mascot made its inaugural stop at the Bamboo Primary and Junior High School, the institution that its designer, 11-year-old Richard Small attends. This stop was part of an islandwide child protection school tour by the CPFSA, dubbed “Mr. Protector goes to School”.

The tour is aimed at promoting the importance of child protection and the 211 Child Abuse Reporting Hotline.

Young Richard designed and named the mascot for a competition launched in 2019 by the CPFSA. Richard’s entry emerged the winner of 91 entries in 2020.

The reserved grade-six student was visibly beaming with pride as the mascot was introduced to students and staff of the institution.

“I feel great and proud of myself. I put a lot of work into it and tried to do my best,” he shares.

In an interview with JIS News, Director of Children and Family Programmes at CPFSA, Warren Thompson, explains that the agency’s mascot represents a superhero with whom children can easily identify, helping to defend their rights.

He informs that as part of Child Month celebrations, the Agency will take Mr. Protector into primary and infant schools as it spreads the child protection message across the island.

“If you see it, you will see that it is a bunny rabbit. Because of COVID-19 we really couldn’t bring the mascot around the island, as schools were not in session. But now things are opening, and we decided to celebrate or to observe child month by going around and bringing Mr. Protector to the students in schools, starting with Bamboo Primary, Richard’s school,” he outlines.

“We are ensuring that students in every single region will see our mascot and will engage with it. The children really got excited this morning (Tuesday) when they saw Mr. Protector coming out and dancing, and they were able to really have a conversation with us about child protection concerns. What is child abuse? And of course, our 211-child abuse reporting line,” Mr. Thompson adds.

Vice Principal of Bamboo Primary and Junior High, Trevor McKenzie, in welcoming the tour, says children benefited immensely from the information disseminated by the CPFSA.

“Today’s occasion is one that we have been waiting for in anticipation. I am certain that children are happy to have you (CPFSA) here because in Jamaica, we know of what is happening with the children and the children are aware of what is happening to them also… so the children are more aware of some of the things that they should do if they are abused,” Mr. McKenzie points out.

The tour also made stops at the Bamboo Infant School, Free Hill Primary and Infant and Priory Primary and Infant Schools, much to the excitement of students and staff.

Principal of Free Hill Primary and Infant, Esther Lewis-Wauchope, tells JIS News the visit from the CPFSA team, as well as its mascot, brought an air of excitement among students.

She commends the agency for the interactive session, noting that the messaging was impactful and resonated with students.

“It was a pleasure hosting the CPFSA at our school with the mascot, introducing the mascot to the children. It was such an experience. The children enjoyed themselves and they now better understand, and it is now riveted in their mind that they should call 211 when they feel threatened, whether physically or emotionally, sexually… whatever abuse it is,” Mrs. Lewis-Wachoupe explains.

Meanwhile, Guidance Counsellor at Priory Primary and Infant school, Pearleta Wisdom-Campbell, says she is pleased students got the opportunity to expand their knowledge of child abuse and how to report it.

“It has opened the eyes of the children. They are now aware of some of the abuses that are out there. I have taught them, but with the song and so on, I am certain that they have learnt a lot,” she states.

Grade-six student at Priory Primary and Infant, Tavio Allen, was overcome with glee with the visit of Mr. Protector.

“He reminds me of the entire agency (CPFSA) that, basically, they are the protectors of children and how they try to help us to ensure that we are safe,” he says.

Meanwhile, the CPFSA team also participated in Read Across Jamaica Day activities during the tour at Bamboo Primary and Junior school.

Child Month is being observed under the theme, ‘Listen Up! Children’s Voices Matter’.