Blow the Whistle takes a stand against violence

Blow the Whistle is an independent, registered non-profit organisation, and a campaign to improve the safety of South Africans. The campaign not only strives to create awareness around the issue on a national level, but also encourages people to stand together, and aims to equip women and children with additional safety measures when they are at their most vulnerable.

New statistics show that one in three women in South Africa will be raped. "The statistics are not just chilling, they're a desperate cry for definitive action," says Legacy Lifestyle chairman, Bart Dorrestein. "We can't just sit back and place the entire responsibility on the government's shoulders. As businesses, and as individuals, we have a responsibility to add our own strengths to the fight against violent crime and especially the epidemic of rape and abuse against women in our country."

Booysen's murder

It was the brutal rape, mutilation, and murder of 17-year-old Anene Booysen that incited both Rider and Legacy Lifestyle into action. It was during a Lifestyle marketing workshop with Rider that the concept of Blow the Whistle was born. "Knowing that she lay alone in the dark for hours, frightened, and in unimaginable pain, made us all see things differently. We wondered if her life could have been saved if she had a whistle to blow," Rider says.

An integral part of the Blow the Whistle campaign is the production and sale of whistles. The whistles are available for purchase at Legacy Hotels and Cross Trainer Stores across the country. Corporates who get involved are also invited to procure whistles for their staff and customers. The aim is to encourage all South Africans to wear these whistles - women and children in particular. When the wearer feels threatened, the whistle functions as a tool to alert others and call for help. The proceeds from the sale of the whistles will be donated to the DNA Project with a specific focus on the Rape Crisis.

Innovative mobi app

Not content to leave it at that, Blow The Whistle is also introducing an innovative mobi app. The mobi app, available for free download on www.whistle.co.za, can be used on iOS, Android initially and later on Blackberry phones. The app, which is equipped with a panic button, enables the user to nominate four trusted guardians to watch over them when they're alone. In this way at any stage the user can use the app to alert their guardians of their need for help by using the panic button function.

The app is also equipped with a journey dashboard when making a trip that allows the user to select their destination and estimate their time of arrival. This information is then sent to the appointed guardians. If the allocated time runs out, the app prompts the user to enter a security code to stop or to extend the trip. When the code is not entered, or if it's entered incorrectly three times, a notification is sent to the guardians along with the user's coordinates.

"Whilst the campaign originated as a Legacy Lifestyle intuitive, it is an independent organisation entirely and we look forward to announcing numerous new corporate partners in the near future. Everyone is invited to join us. We hope the Blow the Whistle campaign will make a meaningful contribution to South Africa, and protect our most valuable asset - our people," Dorrestein concludes.