Red Frogs to the rescue

It has a reputation for being a week of little sleep, plenty of partying and binge-drinking – so it’s little wonder many parents feel nervous about their barely-adult children heading off for their end of school celebrations, more commonly known as Matric Rage.

You may have attempted to stop your child attending – bribery and begging are popular techniques – but if that failed, you should rest assured that the Red Frog volunteers are out in full force to help your child celebrate safely.

Who are the Red Frog volunteers? You will see them around town with their backpacks stocked up with bottled water and cartoon candy red frog sweets.

Red Frogs SA is a volunteer organisation whose sole purpose is to be a fun, sober and positive presence amid the partying culture.

Red Frogs SA was started by Umhlanga resident, Paul Rowney ten years ago and has since grown to more than 200 volunteers, in four destinations around South Africa, for the duration of Matric Rage.

Booze-fuelled Rages can get hectic, and when they do, many young school leavers won’t call emergency services for help but they will, and do, call the Red Frogs 24/7 call centre.

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Red Frogs volunteers have been safeguarding vulnerable school leavers, organising ‘walk-home’ services, cleanups, pancake cook-ups, water and other assistance to ensure loose behaviour doesn’t end in tragedy.

The presence of Red Frogs is not only seen at Matric Rage but they are also present at University O-weeks and at some of SA’s biggest festivals.

Red Frogs national operations manager, Daniele Upneck said there are 80 Red Frog volunteers spread between Ballito and Umhlanga.

“We have seven teams in Ballito and five in Umhlanga who work in shifts during the duration of Matric Rage,” said Upneck.

They also run party safe seminars at schools around the country during the year, making matrics aware of what to stay clear of and who to call in emergencies. These seminars equip school-leavers with practical safety and general tips on how to have a good holiday without any trouble.

Often their first time away from home and without parental supervision, school-leavers spend their holiday partying in an environment that can become dangerous.

According to Upneck the Red Frog crew have become a much-loved and trusted part of Rage culture looking after 8000 to 10 000 school-leavers around South Africa.

Red Frogs have helped change the face of Rages, shaping a peer-led culture where friends look out for friends.

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“Our teams aren’t police, aren’t security, aren’t mum and dad. Many of the volunteers are 18 to 25 themselves, so it is like a big sister or big brother vibe, but one that tows a fine line between guardian and friend. We aid without judging,” said Upneck.

With the support of Grace Church and community members who have bandied together to assist the volunteers, parents can at least rest assured that there are strangers going out of their way to make sure the young people in their life make it home safely… and live to tell the tales of the night before.

The Red Frogs can be reached at 060 733 3764.

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