The initiative, which kicks off on Saturday, 7 May, encourages children and young people to ‘be a buddy, not a bully’, and aims to raise awareness and to empower the children of South Africa to take action against bullying.

As part of the initiative, Cartoon Network, the leading children’s TV channel in South Africa, will be collaborating with ChildLine, an effective non-profit organisation that works collectively to protect children from all forms of violence and create a culture of children's rights in South Africa. The leading helpline for children and young people in South Africa, which already provides immediate advice and support for children who are subjected to any form of bullying and violence, will as part of this campaign spread the anti-bullying message through videos providing professionals and children with tips and advice available in four different languages, Sotho, Zulu, English and Afrikaans.

Van Niekerk will appear in an on-air campaign on Cartoon Network premiering on Saturday, 7 May, which will also include an original series of animated shorts addressing the viewpoints of the bully, the bullied and the observer.

Another great initiative of the campaign is the dedicated online platform that children who are affected by bullying – whether directly or indirectly – can immediately access professional advice, relevant tips through videos and support tools online from the Saturday, 7 May at beabuddy.cartoonnetworkhq.com. The site aims to: inform children about bullying and what they can do to prevent it in a way that is relevant to them; empower children to speak up against bullying and to be aware of their own actions; and provide children with ChildLine’s contact details for immediate help and support.

Van Niekerk says: “I jumped at the chance to work with Cartoon Network and ChildLine on this as I know only too well what it feels like to be bullied. What I love about this initiative is that we are teaching children to be a buddy and not a bully. Bullying is never acceptable and there is nothing shameful about asking for help – speaking up is the first step in making things better.”

ChildLine South Africa national executive officer, Dumisile Nala says: “Bullying remains a top concern in South Africa among children in schools and it is estimated that 35% of all children have experienced some form of bullying. The difference is that nowadays it can follow children wherever they are. It's not just on the playgrounds or on the way to and from school. It's in their pockets - it follows them on their phones, on social networks as well as face to face and the 24 hour nature of it can be relentless. For some children it seems like there's no escape which can cause anxiety and distress. It is so important that we, as adults, take time to listen to our children and help support them through bullying issues.”

Pierre Branco, VP and managing director of Turner Africa says: “Cartoon Network Africa feels very strongly about the fact that most of our audience are affected by bullying every single day, whether in person or online. We were willing to associate the positive values of Cartoon Network to this great cause and raise awareness among kids through our animated creative shorts dubbed with South African kids and the great local partners who are relaying the message in the country. We are delighted to partner with both Wayde van Niekerk and ChildLine in South Africa to tackle this very real issue. As Cartoon Network we would like to show our viewers that we would like to help in any way we can to teach our viewers that there is help and support out there. This initiative is about addressing the issue, encouraging kids to talk about their experiences, be a good friend and offer support to others.”

For more information, visit www.childlinesa.org.za or www.cartoonnetworkhq.com. Alternatively, connect with Cartoon Network on Twitter or Facebook.