Anthill Studios Makes Cartoon To Explain Coronavirus To Kids

Children can be very inquisitive and that curiosity is one of the reasons they ask questions many times over until they understand. As adults, you can attest that trying to explain complex details to children can be a big task that requires some thinking and questions to yourself.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, many children have asked why school is closed, why Daddy isn’t going to work again and why Mummy is always at home. They ask when they will be able to visit their friends, play outside and go out to the supermarket or movies. Yet, the answer – we are on lockdown or there’s a pandemic makes little or no meaning to some of them. 

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We will all agree that children are important members of the society that must not be underrepresented and must be heard out. In a bid to explain what is happening in the country and all over the world, one of Nigeria’s state-of-the-art multimedia facility and animation studio, Anthill Productions, released a 90 seconds video that visually explains to children in simple terms what is happening and what measures they can take to keep safe.

Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Anthill Productions takes a dynamic approach in the way they tell stories. They 

Available in English and three Nigerian languages, the 90 seconds animation was designed to help children understand why they have to stay indoors to help flatten the curve on the spread of the Corona Virus while reducing the number of questions their parents have to answer about the pandemic. On the tweet announcing the release, many parents have affirmed how effective the animation has been in teaching their children with some even miming the script.

The Story

The animation tells the story of young Habeeb who did not understand why he had to stay indoors and cannot play football with his friends. He tries to sneak out the door but his sister, Funke, warns him about the virus and the dangers. Not believing her, he decides to see for himself.

Let’s just say he understood better why he had to stay indoors when he was confronted by the Coronavirus monster. The video also talks about the importance of staying indoors and washing one’s hands with soap and water so as to stay safe.

The Inspiration

Most solutions come as answers to either a problem you have faced or one you see a lot of people face for so long. For Niyi Akinmolayan, the Founder of Anthill Productions, the animation was borne out of the struggle to explain to his own 5-year-old son what Coronavirus is.

Speaking with CNN, he said,

“You want to tell your child not to go outside, but you need to explain why he needs to stay inside. Beyond that, you need to explain why he constantly has to wash his hands with soap and water. … It was really hard until I came up with the idea of the coronavirus monster… I explained that the monster will take Mummy and Daddy and there would be no more ice cream and great food. And that was when it occurred to me that a lot of parents were probably facing the same challenge.”

– Niyi Akinmolayan

So, do you have a little one who is inquisitive and does not seem to understand what is really happening in the country, get the animation here and let them watch it in the different languages they can understand better. Send it to your friends and loved ones and let the kids be involved in the society.

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The animation has been reworked to French, Swahili and Portuguese language; played in Brazil, China and Turkey and would be adopted by other countries around the world who have parents that face the same challenge.

I will leave you with something Tony Rob said:

“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.”

– Tony Robbins

Sources:

CNN

Twitter

Featured image source: CNN

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aanu-olajide

Aanuoluwapo Olajide is a freelance writer who believes that words are fundamental blocks and are the force of life and death. She is a tech enthusiast, fashion designer and a lover of words.

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