These are uncertain times. No one has the blueprint for what life will be like in a post-pandemic world. It's fine to feel anxious and uneasy. How do we explain to our children that this might be the new normal? How do we stop projecting our negative thoughts on them?
These are questions that weigh on every parent's mind, and they are questions that need to be answered.
But if anything, the national lockdown and a global crisis has taught us that children are a resilient bunch.
And it's for this very reason that South African retailer PEP sent out an appeal on TV and social media for artistic messages of hope during the lockdown as a way of engaging children on the issue, giving them an enjoyable task and spreading some positivity.
PEP’s chief marketing officer Beyers van der Merwe described the quantity and quality of the children’s efforts as “overwhelming and heart-warming.”
“The campaign reflects the fact that the entire world is in this Covid-19 crisis together and that every one of us, young and old, can contribute to putting out a positive message," said van der Merwe.
The response to the initiative has been so overwhelming that, to date, over 2 500 children have answered the call by sharing their pictures via Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter.
The success of the campaign even prompted PEP to release a television commercial, as well as share the entries on Facebook and YouTube videos as animated GIFs.