Whistle Alert seeks to protect kids

A whistle passed from sister to sister that was handed down by their mother has become more than a family keepsake for 23-year-old law student and child rights advocate Princess Ford.

It has become the foundation of an initiative she hopes will help protect children across Jamaica. Ford, founder of the Whistle Alert Jamaica Initiative, is now urging parents, guardians and schools islandwide to equip children with whistles and, just as importantly, learn to recognise the different sounds as a signal that a child may be in distress.

“The whistle was something that was given to my sister, and then my mother passed it down to me as a safeguard for our family. It was something we could use to alert someone if we were ever in trouble,” Ford explained.

“That simple whistle made me realise that children can have a small, practical tool that gives them a voice when they may not be able to scream or call for help. That is where the idea for Whistle Alert Jamaica came from.”

The initiative focuses on providing children with whistles, while teaching them and their parents or guardians how to use them appropriately during emergencies to attract attention and seek help. Ford believes the initiative can be particularly useful in situations where children may become separated from their parents, feel threatened or find themselves unable to verbally communicate that they need assistance.

“I want us to get to a point where a whistle is recognised as a child’s safety tool, not only a toy,” she said. According to Ford, schools also have an important role to play in making the initiative effective, and appealed for them to join the programme.

“Teach the children what the whistle is for, teach the teachers and staff what to listen for, and make child safety part of the conversation,” she said. “If you hear repeated whistle blasts from a child, don’t just dismiss it as noise. Stop and check. That sound could be a child asking for help.”

The initiative staged its first mini launch and back-to-school outreach in St Elizabeth in August 2024, following Hurricane Beryl.

“More than 50 children received whistles, school supplies, oral care items, educational pamphlets and care packages for parents and guardians. We also had motivational talks and safety education which the people were very receptive to,” Ford said. The outreach continued in preparation for the 2025 school term, with additional whistles, school supplies, snacks and beverages distributed to children.

For this school term, Whistle Alert Jamaica returned to the communities of St Elizabeth to continue its back-to-school outreach.

“Parents needed any assistance they could get, so we did a little more than what we normally would. The children received whistles, while parents were provided with school supplies to assist with their children’s return to school.”

The initiative’s outreach efforts have received support from several organisations and individuals, including Food For The Poor Jamaica, Kingston Bookshop, Wisynco Group Limited and GraceKennedy Group Limited. Ford said she hopes more corporate organisations, schools, community groups and parents will come on board.