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SINGAPORE – A new ground-up initiative will distribute free trackers to up to 500 caregivers to help them keep tabs on the whereabouts of their loved ones with special needs or dementia.<\/p>\n
Caregivers can apply for a location tracker from March 9 to December 2026 under the REACT CareTag programme, a collaboration between local tech company Activate Interactive and veteran lawyer Peggy Yee.<\/p>\n
Beneficiaries must be referred by a registered charity, community centre, medical or registered social worker, or an MP.<\/p>\n
The initiative was kick-started by Ms Yee, who has been an advocate for people with invisible disabilities, like autism spectrum disorder and mental illnesses,\u00a0for more than two decades.<\/p>\n
She said she felt she had to take action after the tragic case involving Muhammad Hairil Effendi, an\u00a011-year-old boy\u00a0with special needs who went missing on\u00a0Aug 29, 2025, and was later <\/p>\n found dead at sea <\/p>\n <\/a>off\u00a0East Coast Park.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first read the news about Hairil, I was filled with sadness for the family who lost a child,\u201d she told The Straits Times. \u201cWhat can be done to prevent this from ever happening again?\u201d <\/p>\n Ms Yee, who runs her own law firm, PY Legal, <\/p>\n does pro bono work on criminal and civil cases for individuals with invisible disabilities.<\/p>\n <\/a> She is a finalist for <\/p>\n The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award,<\/p>\n <\/a>\u00a0given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society.<\/p>\n Mr Joel Chin, chief executive of Activate Interactive, told ST that his firm decided to collaborate as the initiative would support a community whose challenges are often unseen. <\/p>\n \u201cWhile the location tag may appear simple, its value lies in providing reassurance, dignity and an added layer of safety.\u201d<\/p>\n Beneficiaries or their caregivers can e-mail their requests, along with their referral letters, to <\/p>\n csr@activate.sg<\/p>\n <\/a> to book a collection appointment.<\/p>\n When collecting the tags at Activate\u2019s office at SingPost Centre, caregivers will receive a hands-on demonstration on how to use the location tags, which are compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The tags can be paired with smartphones so caregivers can view the location of their loved ones using their existing device ecosystem.<\/p>\n \u201cOur role is focused on responsible sponsorship and fulfilment, with proper tracking to ensure governance and accountability,\u201d said Mr Chin.<\/p>\n Preventive health brand Actxa will support the programme by sponsoring a location tag for each of its core smart rings sold between March 16 and June 15, contributing to the pool of 500 tags to be distributed. Activate will sponsor the rest.<\/p>\n Mr Chin said Activate and Actxa could potentially work together to build a platform to help caregivers, or even nearby community members, respond more quickly if a vulnerable person goes missing \u2013 similar to community-response models such as myResponder.<\/p>\n