Breaking Barriers with Song: The Global Impact of MBIMB's Music Programme

Chrissy, an accomplished and award-winning singer/songwriter and recording artist, has left an indelible mark on the music scenes in both South Africa and Nashville, USA. However, her passion for making a positive impact on the world led her to channel her songwriting skills into a groundbreaking programme called "My Body is My Body" 34 years ago. This innovative programme was developed in collaboration with the Departments of Education and Human Services in the United States of America. For five years, Chrissy travelled extensively across the USA, visiting states such as Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, and Atlanta, where she presented the "My Body is My Body" programme in schools to over 350,000 children. It became clear to her that while the live shows were impactful, they could only reach a limited number of children. With a vision to reach a wider audience and make a difference on a global scale, Chrissy decided to transform the program into an animated format that could be shared on the internet and distributed to schools, teachers, and parents worldwide. Determined to bring her vision to life, Chrissy spent four years mastering the art of animation, setting up her music studio, and creating the animations in English. In 2017, she released the first set of animations, and they were met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Numerous requests poured in from various regions to have the program translated into different languages. As a result, "My Body is My Body" has now been translated into 27 languages, and the animations have been viewed over 1.5 million times on YouTube. However, this number underestimates the program's true reach, as Chrissy provides offline access to many schools, NGOs, and Foundations in areas with limited internet access. What sets "My Body is My Body" apart is its commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. Chrissy and her team of dedicated volunteers have ensured that the programme remains free for everyone, and they have passionately contributed their time and efforts to translate and record the language voices. Beyond the animations, the programme also offers two free courses on Preventing Child Maltreatment, available on the MBIMB website. The website also offers a Safeguarding Fundamentals Course, A Course for New Mothers and a Digital Explorers Course introducing young children to the internet. Working closely with volunteers in over 60 countries worldwide, Chrissy continues to create awareness about the importance of educating communities on preventing child abuse. Notably, Chrissy holds significant roles in the humanitarian sphere. She serves as the President of Child Welfare for the Global Goodwill Ambassadors Foundation and holds the position of Co-Editor of the Ambassador Magazine, furthering her impact in safeguarding children's welfare. As Chrissy's incredible 34-year journey with the "My Body Is My Body" programme continues, she remains grateful to everyone involved for their dedication to creating a safer world for children. With an amazing worldwide team of volunteers by her side, she looks forward to making an enduring difference in the lives of countless children across the globe.