They were left stunned when 78% of their followers revealed they had experienced some form of sexual harassment as children. And sadly, until they heard others sharing similar experiences, they were not even aware it was sexual harassment.
Feeling the need to address this issue on multiple levels, the makchic team embarked on a project to educate the young on body safety, empower families against child sexual abuse, and generate greater awareness about child sexual-abuse prevention, by publishing their first children’s picture book.
The English version is titled “What If” and was launched on Sept 28. It was authored by Kimberly Lee, managing editor of makchic, and Liyana Taff, special projects director, and illustrated by Delia Razak, a visual designer and illustrator.
The book tackles heavy topics such as personal space, expressing emotions, identifying private parts, recognising suspicious behaviours, and the importance of consent. The topics are presented in a non-threatening, child-friendly way through simple rhymes and relatable characters representing diverse races.
Suitable for those aged three to eight, “What If” also comes with a thoughtful discussion guide, conversation prompts, and suggested activities that help parents, educators, and caregivers discuss these issues with children.
The content is guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Protective Behaviours Framework for personal safety, as well as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (UK) PANTS rule – that their body belongs to them, they have the right to say no, and that they should tell an adult if they’re upset or worried about anything.
Additionally, Liyana said they worked with Thency Gunasekaran, an experienced educator and child rights advocate, and Siti Aishah Hassan Hasri, the founder of Soroptimist Puberty Organising Toolkit, to ensure the content was sound and relevant to the local community.
“We have received positive responses not only from parents but also from schools, NGOs, neighbourhood associations, and members of Parliament on how they found the book helpful and easy to use,” said Najmin Tajudin, CEO of makchic.
More than 2,500 copies of the book have been sold. Following this success, “What If” was translated into Malay and titled “Bayangkanlah”.
Both books were officially launched at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair held at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur recently. During the launch, both Lee and Liyana conducted a storytelling session and answered questions from attendees.
Elaborating on the objective of the book, Lee, 36, said: “In an Asian society, many topics are still seen as taboo and swept under the carpet, which could make the issues worse.
“So, [this book] is a great way to start the conversation with kids, educate and empower them so they will know what to do if they ever face such situations.”
To do this, the authors used a role-playing technique of “what if” to convey these messages in a simple and fun way – hence the title of the English version.
Many parents have said their children loved reading the book so much, it has become their regular bedtime book. A seven-year-old boy at the launch eagerly gave a “thumbs up” when Lee said this.
Lee and Liyana, who are both mothers to young children, told FMT that they drew inspiration from experiences with their own children when writing the book.
“I realise that we need good books to know how to talk to [our children] in an age-appropriate and culturally sensitive manner,” said Liyana, 37, who has four children aged eight, six and three, with her youngest only eight months old – incidentally born the same day “What If” was launched.
“Our book is very geared towards Malaysian customs and people. For example, there is the concept of ‘salam’ in the Malay community, but some children may not be comfortable with certain body contact.
“So, in our discussion guide, we cover how parents can have this conversation with their kids and talk about what they can do as an alternative,” added Lee, who is a mother to two boys aged five and two.
Liyana shared: “As we are publishing these books on our own, if we have enough resources, we definitely want to translate it into Mandarin and other languages.”
She said makchic’s goal is to support and empower families through its online content. “So we’re really thankful that we have produced these books, and we hope we are able to make a change when it comes to sexual education and sexual-abuse awareness.”
Purchase ‘What if’ (hardcover) and ‘Bayangkanlah’ (softcover) through makchic’s store at Shopee or LazMall Store for RM39.90 and RM15 respectively. Alternatively, purchase the books at the stockists listed here.
SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Three lucky people stand a chance to win both English and Malay versions of the book when they complete and submit this form by 5pm on June 17.
Learn more about makchic on its website, Instagram, and Facebook. FMT will also be republishing selected stories from makchic.com in due course.