Handicap International helps child landmine survivors get back on their feet through prosthetic limbs and education. Unfortunately, landmines are a distant threat to most of the developed world, with millennials being largely ignorant of the issue. But because these millennials will form the next generation of leaders, it is imperative they’re educated about the situation. To do so, we designed a physical symbol called the Crutch Chair. This chair should not look out of place in the school environment, yet it stands out and calls attention to itself and ultimately, our cause. Students who encounter these Chairs in their classrooms and colleges can learn about a particular survivor tagged to the chair through messaging on the writing surface or an attached video. They can also share the idea socially through pictures of the chair itself or by sharing the videos they’re linked to.

We wanted to literally take the problem into the classroom itself—and there was no better way to get ourselves in than to disguise our engagement vehicle as a piece of school furniture.

The Crutch Chair was built around a school icon—the school chair. Each chair is symbolically crippled by a missing leg—yet held up by a crutch. By attaching the crutch to the crippled chair, it becomes sturdy again – a physical manifestation of Handicap International’s belief that the right support can make a big difference.

Placed in classrooms, the chair spoke to affluent youths – students who understood the importance of education. As they studied, interacted with or sat on the chairs, they experienced for themselves the first-person perspective of whichever child landmine survivor was tagged to the chair.

The campaign organically made the leap into the mass media and consciousness, with leading national daily The Straits Times featuring it prominently in an article on banning landmines. Shared and talked about on social networks, awareness is surging through our target audience of students and youth, ensuring the topic is once again prominent and relevant to our next generation of leaders. Donations to Handicap International have also spiked since the Crutch Chair was introduced, helping survivors get back on their feet—through prosthetic fittings and continuing education.

We have placed several Crutch Chairs in 3 different higher education institutions, placed in classrooms and lecture halls. And everyday, in each institution, an estimated number of 500 students interacted with these chairs. They then have either talked and shared in social media sites and more importantly, access to video and Handicap International website to know more about landmine victims. This is an 57% increase of the site visit. But the most important result is that the future generation and scholars have become true advocates of the cause.