This October, Polished Man is back for its fifth year tackling the nation-wide problem of child abuse.
Across the globe, one child dies every five minutes as a result of violence. It’s easy to assume the majority of cases exist outside the boarders of our nation; however child abuse is an epidemic in Australia. Last year alone, one in 32 children received child protection services, with 95 per cent of victims reporting that their perpetrator was male.
Certainly a confronting set of statistics to face, Polished Man takes the lead in this cause, serving not to blame, but rather unite men in order to protect societies most vulnerable citizens, the ones in which our future lies. Famous faces like the Hemsworth brothers, Vance Joy and Michael Klim have all stepped forward as ambassadors, each painting one fingernail blue in order to raise money for the cause.
However, it is the youngest ambassador who’s making the largest impact on the campaign trail. At just 11 years old, Jackson Saunders has already raised over $40,000 for Polished Man. Sitting down with fellow ambassador, Tommy Little, on The Project, he spoke about his work for the charity and how his own bullying traumas have acted as a platform to make life better for other kids.
Jackson’s campaign certainly has no limitations, running auctions, parties and even a nail bar at school in order to raise money for trauma prevention and trauma recovery programs for children who are at risk or have suffered violence. Jackson is doing more than just making a brave statement; he is leading by example and proves that age has no limitation.
Polished Man was originally set up by ygap cofounder Elliot Costello after a visit to a campaign beneficiary in Cambodia. Meeting with children, he came across a young girl who painted all of his nails blue. He later learned that the young girl had been subjected to routine abuse and he then vowed to paint one nail in remembrance of her suffering.
With such a heartbreaking story as the premise of this charity, Polished Man encourages everyone to put their best blue nail forward this month. And getting involved is simple. You can either donate to an existing campaign or set up your own. Whether you’re opting to go solo or you’ve rounded up a team of your nearest and dearest, head to the Polished Man website to get started. With $1.7 million as the end goal for this month, every little donation counts.
Visit the Polished Man website to view all of this year’s ambassadors and to see how you can contribute.
