Two High School students from Limuru Girls have invented an anti-abduction system by the name of Femicide Abduction System Alert (FASA), a behavioral science-based safety intervention designed to reduce femicide-related abductions.
Sharonne Njoki, a form three student, and Michelle Ndolo, a form two student, told Kenyans.co.ke that they were inspired by a case where a first year female Multi-Media University student was murdered and her body dumped in a water tank.
The two then decided to craft a system that uses GPS, a panic button, and auto alerts to enhance women's safety.
“We were inspired by the MMU case, where a female student was murdered and her body thrown into a tank. The incident, among many other cases of femicide, led us to invent the system which detects abductions and sends notification alerts for help,” Ndolo told this writer.
The system consists of six main components, including an ESP32 microcontroller, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) module, Geographical Positioning System (GPS) tracking, a microphone, a panic button, and a rechargeable battery that enables it to operate.
How the system works: The system is embedded in a handbag or other accessories and is designed to automatically send emergency alerts and real-time location coordinates when the victim screams or presses the panic button to activate it.
“If the victim screams or presses the panic button, the system automatically sends the message ‘help help, I am in distress’ to the connected device, to let them know that you need help,” Ndolo continued.
The GPS tracking feature allows for the precise location of the victim to be determined. Experimental trials showed an average location error margin of 11.4 metres; beyond this distance, the system cannot detect the screams.
The alerts are sent to trusted contacts who have the system connected to their phones or digital devices.
It also employs bystander engagement, which utilises digital crowd involvement by potentially leveraging social media platforms like X and Facebook. This aims to increase reporting rates and encourage collective intervention in emergencies, thereby breaking the bystander effect.
The system can be connected to as many phones as necessary; it has no limit. To prevent false alarms due to noise, the system includes a manual microphone deactivation feature.
It was presented at the 61st Kenya Science and Engineering Fair 2025 and enabled the girls to scoop the second position. The system will cost Ksh2,000, but at wholesale price, buyers can enjoy a 50 per cent discount and purchase it at Ksh1,000.
The students are now calling on President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza government to support their invention and help incorporate it into society.
