Panic-alert bag launched

CONCERNED: GROUP WANT TO STOP CHILD SNATCHING AND KIDNAPPING

It has a sim card and a caller option that transmits the location of the victim.

An extra measure of protection to curb the spate of violence against women and children has been created in Tembisa in the form of a backpack with a built-in panic button.

And although it may not be foolproof, it could save lives.

Following a number of kidnappings, a group of five youths designed the bag.

According to Phatu Madima, one of the co-founders of the group, called The Movement, the bag has a sim card and a caller option that transmits the location of the victim.

“The bag has a panic button that can alert either the child’s parents once pressed during an attack, or your husband or partner when in trouble.

“Once the panic button has been pressed by anyone in trouble, the signal from the bag’s data sends their location to the cellphone that is linked to the sim card on the bag,” explained Madima.

Madima said this bag was what the country needed to reduce the ever-increasing rate of child-snatching and kidnapping of women.

“We would like to believe this is the answer we have been waiting for.

“We are not saying the bag will stop the kidnappings, but we are certain it will help decrease the scourge and maybe save many lives.

“When we were designing this bag, our focus and energy was on children and that is why we designed it in that fashion, so it would be easy for children to carry and also easy to press the panic button when they are attacked.”

With the call option on the bag, parents could call the panic button to check on their children and monitor them.

“The reason we created this bag was because of the escalating rate of abuse against children and women, and it is befitting that we are launching this bag during November, which is the month of Activism Against the Abuse of Women and Children.

“So, with this bag, we are hoping to save lives.”

He added that making the bag was not easy, as there had been many challenges along the way, such as lack of finance or support from big players in the technology space.

“We actually did everything from our own pockets, relying on pocket money from parents.

“But we finally made it and we are looking for anyone or companies who want to help us or invest in this unique idea to come forward.”

– Caxton News Service

With this bag, we are hoping to save many lives