With the Plett Rage party in full swing, thousands of ex-matrics have flocked to Plettenberg Bay for a nine-day, multi-stage, decked-out jol.
But as the night gets darker and the drinks get stronger, many youngsters end up in dangerous waters, inebriated, confused and alone.
That’s where the Red Frogs come in, a Christian-based NPO that aims to be a positive presence and safe space within the party culture.
We don’t just want to catch some vomit and help the guys but we want to walk a road with them
“We don’t just want to catch some vomit and help the guys but we want to walk a road with them,” Red Frogs Branch co-ordinator and pastor Brett France, 31, from Johannesburg said.
The NPO started in Australia in 1994 and branched into SA in 2007, France said.
Groups of volunteers walk around Rage venues, wearing black and red shirts and caps rocking the red frog logo and handing out sweets shaped like frogs, or free pancakes and water to line stomachs.
“Our goal in these spaces is to try to be the fence at the top of the cliff instead of the ambulance at the bottom,” France said.
If young people are in trouble or stuck, when they don’t know what to do and who to call — we will step in, like that older brother or sister
“If young people are in trouble or stuck, when they don’t know what to do and who to call — we will step in, like that older brother or sister.”
The Red Frogs have set up at both the Plett and Ballito Rage events, which are happening at the same time, but France said the pandemic had knocked Plett volunteer numbers.
“We have 45 volunteers at Ballito but sadly we didn’t get enough volunteers to set up a full operation here in Plett, but there are still six of us who will be out assisting,” he said.
Though there won’t be a pancake station at Plett Rage this year, Ballito Ragers can make use of the full service.
France said the team had experienced serious emergencies such as sexual assault, drink spiking and alcohol poisoning, but the biggest increase was declining mental health and young people having suicidal thoughts.
“The organisers do a great job in trying to keep the children safe, but some of the worst is drink spiking or a young person trying some form of drug they’ve never tried before and having an adverse reaction.”
This year, the Red Frogs partnered up with Safesnap, a safety app launched in July.
Safesnap founder and CEO Adrian Broom, 45, from Johannesburg, said the safety and emergency App wasn’t simply a “panic app” but a network with multiple security offerings.
Broom said the App used facial recognition and biometrics to identify those in need.
“We want to empower people with the tools to help others,” he said.
“On Safesnap, if someone is registered, all I would need to do is take a picture of them, and the system picks up who they are and gives a couple of options — you can phone an emergency contact or activate emergency services.”
Broom said the app had patterned with the Red Frogs as a support structure for teens.
The Dispatch followed the Frogs and saw how they calmly interacted with youngsters in a welcoming way.
Plett Rager Jade Pretorious, 18, from Cape Town, said: “I’ve gone to lots of festivals before and it’s so important to have them here — there are so many times I’ve lost my friends and need some help.
“The world needs more people like this.”
Plett Rager Kayla Fick, 18, from East London said: “We come here for fun. My mom told me about them, she said, ‘you should look out for the Red Frogs, they will protect you’.”
Red Frogs volunteer Ashley Sam, 22, from Plettenberg Bay, said this was his second year as a volunteer.
“Being a part of the Red Frogs is a calling. You are like a big brother.”
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