In an effort to teach children about staying safe on the roads, FundLife International hosted a special Road Safety Day on December 19, 2023. 84 enthusiastic children and youth gathered at the Generation Amazing Community Center, Futsal Court in Brgy. 106 Sto. Nino, Tacloban City for a day filled with learning and fun, centered on becoming "Road Safety Heroes."
The activity aimed to achieve a simple yet vital mission: to instill amongst children the importance of road safety, increase their awareness of safe road behaviors, help them understand their role in keeping roads safe, and boost their confidence when navigating busy streets.
The Road Safety Day kicked off with engaging and educational games. 'Bib Tag Rescue' set the tone, as children maneuvered to avoid 'taggers' holding ball-rolled bibs of different colors—red, yellow and green, simulating real-life caution on roads. The 'Sign Scavenger Hunt' also combined play and education, challenging children to locate road signs, fostering attentiveness to street cues.
Following the games, informative talks connected the gameplay to real road safety situations. Subsequently, children split into age-appropriate groups for more activities. High school learners channeled their creativity through poster-making, ambulance painting and crafting recycled toy cars, while younger children delved into road safety bingo, word search and familiarize themselves with traffic signs and road safety rules.
The activities grand finale featured thrilling events like a Toy Car Race and a simulated crosswalk parade while raising their road safety placards, transforming learned knowledge into action-packed displays.
"The Road Safety Day was awesome! It proved that learning about safety can be fun. It felt like playing games while also picking up essential knowledge and skills for staying safe on the roads. Understanding this early on, we're making our streets safer. It's empowering us to enjoy our time outdoors while being wise about staying safe everywhere we go."— a youth participant said.