By Chrissy Sykes
From Yorkshire to the World:
Teaching Children to Stand Up, Speak Out, and Stay Safe.
How one woman’s mission is helping millions of children find their voice through music and education. In a quiet corner of Barnsley, Yorkshire, a powerful global movement is unfolding, one that protects children, educates communities, and transforms the way the world approaches body safety. At the heart of this movement is the My Body Is My Body (MBIMB) Foundation, a charity founded by singer-songwriter turned child protection advocate, Chrissy Sykes. What began as a deeply personal response to the rising tide of child abuse has grown into one of the most widely used free safeguarding programs in the world—delivered in over 30 languages, in more than 63 countries, and reaching 2.7 million children and counting.
A Simple Idea with a Global Impact
The concept behind MBIMB is disarmingly simple: use music to teach children about body autonomy and safety. “Children remember songs,” Chrissy explains. “Music helps children open up, understand difficult topics safely, and most importantly, it gives them a voice.”
Through catchy, age-appropriate songs, animations, and stories, MBIMB teaches vital lessons: what is and isn’t appropriate behaviour, how to say no, who to tell if something feels wrong, and why keeping secrets about touching is never okay. The program is trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and most importantly, fun. It allows children to learn in a safe, happy environment.
But behind the simplicity lies a serious and urgent purpose. According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18, and most of these cases happen in silence. My Body Is My Body exists to break that silence and, most importantly, to prevent abuse before it ever begins.
Born from Music, Built on Purpose.
Chrissy’s journey from songwriter to child safety champion is anything but conventional. Her music career took her from South Africa to Nashville, where she wrote songs for radio, television, and commercial campaigns. But everything changed when one of her songs was chosen for Child Abuse Prevention Month by the State of Texas. What began as a single request quickly evolved into a passion project and ultimately, a life’s mission to protect children around the world.
“Once I started visiting schools and talking to children, I knew this was what I was meant to do,” Chrissy recalls. “They wanted to be heard. And I realised that music could be the bridge between silence and safety.”
Moved by these experiences, Chrissy approached teams at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with a simple but powerful idea: to create a music-based program that could genuinely connect with children.
“I asked them, ‘If you could include everything a child needs to know to stay safe, what would it be?’” she says. Their insights were invaluable. Over the next few months, Chrissy poured her heart into writing and shaping the songs and messages that would form the foundation of a new kind of safeguarding resource.
And that’s how the My Body Is My Body Program was born, a child-centred, song-based approach to body safety that’s engaging, easy to remember, and most importantly, effective.
Today, MBIMB offers eight free online courses, including presenter training, digital safety, peer pressure awareness, and a children’s body safety curriculum. The program is used by teachers, social workers, NGOs, after-school providers, and parents, with no need for expensive licenses or formal training. It’s accessible to anyone who wants to keep children safe.
Women Leading the Change
It’s no coincidence that MBIMB’s global network of over 300 ambassadors includes passionate women and men from all walks of life, teachers, social workers, church and spiritual leaders, community volunteers, and local NGO members, all united by one shared goal: to keep children safe.
From rural villages in Kenya to classrooms in Nepal, MBIMB ambassadors are delivering the program with dedication and pride, using music and storytelling to spark vital conversations and build children’s confidence.
“Being an MBIMB ambassador changed my life,” says Mary, a community leader in Kenya. “I saw children in my village light up when they heard the songs. They felt empowered. And that’s how change begins—one voice at a time.”
Chrissy is always quick to emphasise that MBIMB is not about her. “This program belongs to the world. It’s built by a global community of everyday heroes, our ambassadors, who give their time, heart, and energy to protect children. The world owes them so much.”
A Yorkshire Heart with a Global Soul
Although the program has an international reach, MBIMB remains proudly rooted in Yorkshire. It works hand-in-hand with Barnardo’s, the YMCA, Barnsley CVS, safeguarding boards, and schools to ensure that children in local communities are also benefiting from the program.
In 2024 alone, MBIMB supported over 50,000 children across the UK and abroad. Its resources are aligned with the UK’s PSHE curriculum, making them easy for teachers to implement in lessons. Safeguarding leads have called the program “a breath of fresh air” simple, memorable, and profoundly effective.
Building a Safer Future
For Chrissy and her team, the vision is clear: a world where every child knows their body belongs to them, where speaking up is safe, and where communities are united in protection. To make that happen, MBIMB continues to expand its digital learning platform, create new content, and reach children in the hardest-to-reach areas of the globe.
“We want MBIMB in every school, in every home, in every language,” Chrissy says. “That’s the dream. Because one voice, one song, one child at a time, we can change the world.”
Join the Movement
The My Body Is My Body Foundation invites leaders, educators, and change makers to get involved. Whether by becoming an ambassador, sharing the program in your community, or supporting the cause through partnership, your voice can help protect countless others. In a world that often feels overwhelmed by complex problems, MBIMB offers something refreshingly powerful: a joyful, simple way to teach children that they matter. And it all starts with one message: My Body Is My Body.
Stay Connected
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissy-sykes-04a84243
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