About Us

“Stop ‘it Nou”

13 Episodes x 22 minutes

Around 3500 CPM – Possible Sponsors Companies and individuals with Children and especially Christian values as their focus like
“King Price” and “Intercape”.

The target audience is the entire family with a focus at children between the ages of 9 and 12 skewed towards Afrikaans market. Since the bully theme is so prevalent.

Knowledge is power – if you understand bullying, the reasons as well as the effects of it – then you will not only create awareness but you will start to construct an anti-bullying culture because if you have done this successfully you would have established Empathy. Lack of empathy is the root of bullying.

We need an Anti-Bullying Culture in our schools! To achieve this the pupils, teachers and parents will need to be informed. The wisdom and knowledge will be reinforced through repetitive programs such as films, posters, stickers, arm bands and even an “anti-bully kit” pencil case. As one principle stated, we will create a “language” that everybody will understand. We will learn from each other and we will establish a bully free society. Last but not least a Social Media Drive combined with men’s group meetings at the schools through the auspicious of the Imagine movement.

The Campaign will happen on three levels.

• Inform – A documented nationwide campaign and road show will run prior to the studio shoot. It is with this road show that actual feedback from children (incognito or with their parent’s consent) will be gathered by the producers that will be used in the studio phase of the show.
• Display – Also part of this road show will be the screening of three different films (in English and in Afrikaans) that will aim to further inspire parents and children alike. Posters and the “Anti-bully Kit” Pencil Case will be made available that schools can use so as to strengthen the main subjects of the campaign.
• Reiterate – Every child in South Africa will get a 16-page informative booklet (in English and in Afrikaans) that they can discuss in class, on the play ground as well as at home.
  The added advantage of the road trip is that other schools will hear of the campaign and will then aim to get involved in the project themselves. An interactive web site as well as app will also form part of this campaign.

“I am not a Soft Target!”
Not one child must ever be lost again due to this surmountable problem!

If you can help children understand their situation and show that they are not the only ones, even share testimonies on how other children overcame the problem, then bullying will become mere teasing or at worst isolated incidents.

This is a magazine show that will coincide with a documented road show that took place prior to the studio production. During the road show live presentations and children’s reaction to it will be filmed as well is interviews with pupils, teachers and parents that will shine a light on the bully problem and the individuals involved with it.

Opening sequence:
With the roadshow in mind the magazine program will open with a montage of excerpts from the films mentioned in the USP (part of merchandising) as well as the road show that visited primary schools all over South Africa (13 in total). At the end of all this the theme as well as the school that the road show visited will be
announced. (e.a. “Don’t be a soft target.” ) Over which the presenter’s narration will be heard stating that; “In today’s episode the “Dit Stop Nou”, roadshow visits the beautiful Magalieskruin primary school where the head master and teachers committed themselves to have a no bully culture in school. In studio we also have a specialist, like Dr. Rodney Seal, as a guest who will share his knowledge on the subject.”

Studio Discussion:
The presenter will next introduce the studio guest, or panel of guest that will first discuss the theme of the day and then share their insight on the subject. This discussion can of course be very effectively be supported by cut a ways to feed back from children and parents even teachers that were accumulated with the preceding roadshow.

Testimonial:
Each episode will end with a testimony of how a child overcame a bullying scenario. This can be a grown up who can share on how they, for instance, managed to put everything into perspective many years later – aiming to help children to realize that one day they too will look back on the bullying they endured and realize it made them more resilient in life – just think of Elon Musk!

A magazine show supported by a road show, well established presenters and a professional team with years of experience behind them.

The purpose of the show, the nationwide campaign that coincides with it as well as the merchandising of the three DVD’s (In Afrikaans and English), will be to give support to children who’s become “soft targets” either through their own behavior or perhaps circumstances out of their control. It will also empower victims of bullying to realize that the fault doesn’t lie with them, chances are their bullies and groups of bullies actually do not know how to deal with their own problems and circumstances and this is why they bully. Ingenuous methods to address all these issues and much more is what will make the show and campaign effective. In turn this will be the perfect vehicle to Establish the Laeveld Agrochem logo.

Ultimately the bully free culture in our schools and community will need a new level of empathy from all of South Africa’s citizens and by telling real children and people’s stories we will learn from each other to be inspired to either stop being bullies or at least stop being soft targets.

By showing the effects and results of actions that other children did similar to their actions they can be inspired to make a difference. By telling and sharing children’s stories, and getting the support of schools and especially “life orientation” subjects, this aim will be achieved effortlessly.

The tone will be up beat at times, as we inform in an often comical way with the stand up comedy style school visits. It will be serious as we discuss the seriousness of bullying in studio. It will ultimately be inspiring as we strive to make a difference in our schools.

The magazine style look and feel of the show will be supplemented with cut aways of the school visits and the interaction with pupils, teachers and members of the community.

The bully problem as subject matter and the practical solutions the program and panel of experts will create highly in demand information that often desperate children and parents are looking for. The fact that schools are visited and pupils interviewed will create a rapport with our youthful audience and parents a like not to mention that it will create a local feel to the whole program.

The informative story line that builds practically every week with handful tips that every school and community can incorporate will make this a product that schools will want to see on social media again – not to mention the merchandising that will flow from this.

Children will go on a journey every week with practical advise they can incorporate in their every day lives until the next week.

Even though the common theme of bullying carries the show for thirteen weeks, it is the practical advise and examples that will be the main selling point/ Ad to this the heartbreaking testimonials of “victims” as well as inspiring testimonials of “overcomers” and you have a winning recipe.

Brief Running order:

1. Soft Target- Episode one will have an in depth discussion with examples of everything that has and can make an individual a soft target. Here viewers will be inspired to reach a point where they realize that they either get bullied on facts or with lies about them. The Truth will however be the changing factor because it
   supersedes both “facts” and “lies.”
2. Father/mentorship. In this episode the importance of mentoring will be discussed at the hand of the first film – “Lang Gras” (Afrikaans) and “Khumbula – I will Remember” (English). Another subject that forms part of this episode is the subject of hardship or problems and how the youth of South Africa has to look differently at their personal problems. The comparison is made with a subject matter they know very well – movies!
   They have to realize that it is as if their lives are movies. No movie is any good unless the hero has problems. The bigger the problems the bigger the hero! It is mentorship that will come them to good stead during this phase. The last thing they can afford to have is a “What ever attitude.” Mentorship of parents, especially fathers but also teachers, and the role they play in children’s lives will be discussed in depth during this episode.
3. Know your bully – bully 1. Excerpts from the movie, “Samson had no muscles” will be shown where our hero’s goes and studies the bully. In this episode it will be discussed at the hand of examples and the panel of experts that most bullies become bullies because of the problems they face at home.
4. Know your bully – bully 2. Carrying on with the ‘know your bully theme.” The second type of bully will be discussed in depth here. Namely that this bully bullies because he or she sees you as competition.
5. Know your bully – bully 3a. He or she doesn’t even know that they are bullying you, they think they are playing. Especially here differentiation will be made between boys and girls because this type of bully is more common with girls. Practical advice will be given to help children on how to deal with this kind of bully.
6. Know your bully – bully 3b. A phenomenon called corrective bullying you. This type of bully often goes undetected because it is the “good” children who bully the out of order and the trouble makers in a hope that their behavior can change a certain child’s “wrong” behavior. Here the role that teacher’s often play will be discussed in depth since they are often guilty of corrective bullying.
7. Know your bully – bully 4. This is when you bully yourself. Truly a lot can and will be said on this type of bully. This is often brought about by thinking errors which will be a subject discussed by an informed guest or panel of guests.
8. Do not stand out! One of the post practical things any child on the receiving end of bullying can do is to not stand out. In other words, do not bring attention to yourself. This is very complicated when a child sees children seeing other children doing wrong things or even criminal things. The whole subject of whistle
   blowing will be dragged into this conversation with examples of children at school.
9. Be a friend! In this episode friends will be discussed. Bullies surround them with friends who actually helps them bully. Friends are also you best line of defense against bullying, but how do you make friends? Friends in all it’s aspects, with practical advise and testimonies will be discussed during this episode.
10. Cyber bullying. This is one of the most current subjects in todays schools and it is as wide as the internet itself. For one cyber bullies believe they can be anonymous and use the social media platform to make hurtful comments about fellow pupils. In the modern age it is also the quickest way to make any child
    feel they are not part of the group – thus making them “soft targets.” It is cruel to see and hear how especially girls use social media as a bully platform. This episode will be devoted on giving children, and parents, guidance through the quagmire of social media.
11. Modern day bullies. Drug abuse, eating disorders, debt or even time management will be discussed in this episode. Knowing full well that each of the above subjects is a whole series in itself it is still a potential “bully” that must be treated as such.
    The same rules that by this time has become synonymous with the show will apply here. In other words, what will make you a “soft target” and therefor susceptible to these “modern day bullies” and others like it.
12. Relationships. Everything about relationships will be discussed in this episode. Why do moms and dads get divorced. This is a huge theme in the film “Poppylarity” (Poppielariteit in Afrikaans) and all the lessons learned from the past 11 weeks will come in handy with this program. The main theme is how children can respond to the heart ache when their parents gets divorced. A very unfortunate phenomenon, namely domestic violence, can also be addressed here – what is acceptable and what is not acceptable behavior. After this episode, children who are at the receiving end of this kind of bully can say: “This Stops Now.”
13. Thinking errors. This whole episode will be devoted on thinking errors. There are 38 thinking errors, however not all will be discussed during this episode. It will be insightful and will give the children, and grown ups for that matter handy tools that they can take with them in life.

The team of Kyknet’s “Geloof, Hoop en Liefde” one of the top twenty shows on Kyknet is involved with the production. Berne Jonker being the director and Lindi Strydom the studio presenter. Award winning actor and film maker Jacques Gombault, who has years of experience visiting schools, will be handling the road trip and often co present the studio discussions. He is the author of the six films (in English and Afrikaans) and he is the drive behind the whole campaign.
With the assistance of the channel, we will identify an appropriate co-host for the brand objectives.

Producer – Megan Firth
Director – Berne de Beer
D.O.P. – Jaun de Meillon
Scripting/co presenter – Jacques Gombault

#Stopditnou
The hash tag will be central to every social media strategy. We will promote it aggressively , where every person involved can use the hashtag to reveal bully incidences and possible signs thereof. This will bring ease to victims who have never before felt comfortable to talk about it openly.