See a man with a painted fingernail? He could be trying to end violence against children

If you see a man with one painted fingernail about town, it could be because he’s participating in a movement to stand against the physical and sexual abuse of children.

From Oct. 1 to 15, the #PolishedMan global campaign is aiming to get men to talk more about the problem of child abuse. And it’s raising money to benefit a variety of organizations around the world. (It also happens that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Maine.)

Elliot Costello, CEO of an Australian organization that connects entrepreneurs in developing countries to networks and funding, created the #PolishedMan campaign after visiting Cambodia.

There, he met a young girl named Thea at Hagar International, which helps victims of trafficking, domestic violence and exploitation. They didn’t speak the same language, so they played games together. At the end of the evening, Thea drew a heart on his hand and painted all of Costello’s nails blue.

“I left that night so moved by Thea that I made a decision to paint one nail to represent the one in five children that suffer physical and sexual violence at the hands of men,” he said.

Learn more about how the campaign started here:

 

And check out some of the reaction on Twitter and Instagram: