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Ananda Alert - Jamaicans get involved!!

Posted by Troy Porter on November 16, 2009 at 11:01am

http://www.anandaalertjm.com/ Jamaicans have given a lukewarm response to an urgent call to play a critical role in the success of the Ananda Alert, a nationwide child-abduction alert network named after 11-year-old Ananda Dean, who was kidnapped and murdered in 2008. The multi-agency alert system was launched in May this year and is designed to alert the nation whenever a child is reported missing. Six months after the launch of the government-led thrust, aimed a recruiting an army of concerned citizens to work along with the State in ensuring the safe and speedy return of abducted children, official statistics revealed that of the more than two million cellphone subscribers in a country of approximately 2.7 million people, only 2,255 had signed up to help locate the nation's children when they are reported missing. Last week, reports surfaced that there was a significant increase in the number of missing children. Up to September this year, 1,206 children had been reported missing. Of that figure, 676 have returned home, while three have died. The heartbreaking numbers for the nine-month period far outstrip the 960 children reported missing during 2008. How do I subscribe? -------------------------- Customers subscribe by texting in the keyword 'HELP' to 444-2432. Thereafter, they will start receiving alerts on missing children and tips on how we can protect our children. After subscribing, customers will automatically receive ALL alerts sent from the service. Full: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091116/lead/lead1.html
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