Michael Clowater of Radke Films directed this online film entitled Sacrifice for War Child out of Toronto agency john st. War Child is an international charity working with mothers and children all over the world to reduce the effects of poverty, provide an education and to defend and promote child rights.
The short is part of a campaign based on the premise that moms will sacrifice anything for their kids. In war-torn areas of the world, they sacrifice everything: forced by war to give up their homes, their basic rights, and their ability to protect their children. Launching just in time for Mother’s Day, the campaign conceived by john st. aims to raise funds to support these mothers living in conflict. The work asks mothers to make a “Mother’s Day Sacrifice”—giving up their usual gift in exchange for a donation to War Child.
“The idea is based on the insight that moms already make tons of sacrifices every day,” said Melissa Tobenstein, account team leader at john st. “They sacrifice their time, their homes, their sex lives – so what’s one more sacrifice, especially for such a good cause?”
“It’s all about moms helping moms. And moms around the world, regardless of their personal circumstances, understand sacrifice,” added James Topham, War Child’s director of communications of War Child. “I think most moms would gladly give up a physical gift, especially if it’s something like a dustbuster, for a donation that helps another mother caught up in war.”
Supporting mothers is vital to War Child’s mission to protect childhood in war-afflicted communities. In these communities, a child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past age five. And in sub‐Saharan Africa, an estimated 1.8 million children’s lives could have been saved in 2008 if their mothers had at least secondary education–a 41% reduction in the death rate.
