Child Focus calls on runners on Strava to find missing children: « They come to places where we need eyes »
© Belgaimage
Child Focus is launching a new promotion on Sunday in which runners on Strava are deployed to find missing children and young people as quickly as possible. They do this on the occasion of the international day of the missing children.
Source: Belga
Today at 8:20 AM
Anyone who becomes a member of the ‘Miles for the Missing’ running club on Strava can set via the app to get a notification when a detection message from a missing child is distributed. In this way, Child Focus wants to make a warm call to runners to keep their eyes open while walking. Any testimonials can be reported via the free emergency number 116,000, which the clock can be reached around.
Via the ‘Miles for the Missing’ platform, runners can also generate alternative routes based on heatmaps, data about the location and the time of the disappearance, and the own location of the runner. The platform also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to send sports enthusiasts to places where the chance is greatest to find missing children, such as bus stops, train stations, gas stations, or places where few other people run.
Millions of kilometers
« Together Belgians walk millions of kilometers a year, » said Nel Broothaerts, CEO of Child Focus. « They come to places where Child Focus needs eyes when a child disappears. By activating them, we can give the search for missing children an extra boost. »
Last year, Child Focus opened 2,478 new disappearance files, an increase of 22 percent compared to 2023. Since Child Focus wants to continue to use Strava in the search for missing children, the campaign has no end date. The starting shot will be given on Sunday at the ’20 km through Brussels’ sporting event.
