Technology, when applied to its great potential, can change the lives of many. If applied to good use, it can have the power to help combat large social issues that has been long fought.
For this edition of #SEAtizens, we are putting the spotlight on Roland Edward and his Be My Protector (BMP) team, an NGO that is committed to help prevent the alarming cases of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
Be My Protector is currently available for download in Google Play and App Store within Malaysia.
Before it was even formalized as an NGO, BMP was initially launched in 2018 as a mobile app as a joint initiative of human rights organization Tenaganita and social enterprise Change Your World (CYW).
Given its accessible and user-friendly nature, the BMP app serves as a tool Malaysians can use to report any cases of human trafficking and exploitation among children. The app is currently available for download in Google Play and App Store only within Malaysia. Hopefully, an expansion to other countries in Southeast Asia will be announced very soon.
Because of the COVID-19’s effect on many businesses across Malaysia, Edward shared that the BMP team are working 24/7 to help manage the needs of many during this difficult period.
“We changed our scope to heed the current needs of our people and nation. I think we always have to remain relevant to the community around us. Working alongside another NGO called The Giving Bank, we have been running two initiatives, namely feeding those in need and raising funds to get personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontliners,” Edward, who serves as the Engagement and Partnership Manager for BMP, shared with Varnam Malaysia.
The Be My Protector (BMP) team distributing PPEs to frontliners in Malaysia. Photo from Be My Protector Facebook.
In addition, Edward and his team has also added an emergency food assistance function within the BMP app given its importance during these times.
Although supporting other people has become a nurturing task for them, the job entails a lot of challenges as well.
“Having to work around this or having to wait can be very frustrating when lives are on the line. It can be tiring physically and emotionally,” Edward added.
“Working towards saving lives alongside people who want to make a change, real change, gives me hope that Malaysia can be a country that sets a standard for others to follow.”
For more details about how you can support Be My Protector, visit them at bemyprotector.com.
SEA Wave magazine’s SEAtizens initiative is a series of inspiring stories of people in Southeast Asia who champion the human spirit by demonstrating courage, ingenuity, generosity, and selflessness amidst the current crisis.