4 minute read
The dual impact of DV Safe Phone on domestic abuse victims and environmental conservation
BY BEN AND STACEY KENDALL
At the heart of every human being is an innate need for connection - to feel heard, valued, and understood by the people closest to us. Moreover, when we need it most, clear and compassionate communication is a lifeline that connects us to professional support services. From counsellors and therapists to crisis hotlines and support groups, having an avenue to voice our pain, fears, and mental health needs can be the difference between suffering in silence and finding hope.
Sadly, across Australia, many people face the reality of having their phones tracked, monitored, broken, or stolen by abusers to maintain control. It is estimated that over two million victims of domestic abuse in Australia need a safe phone to access services.
With over 80 per cent of Australians owning a smartphone, it is hard to imagine even one day without our phone. When phones are tracked or taken away, the ability to stay connected is lost, often with devastating consequences. This is why access to a clean, untraced, safe phone is vital for domestic violence victim-survivors to escape their situation or start a new chapter. This is where DV Safe Phone is transforming the futures of thousands of vulnerable Australians.
Ashton Wood is the founder and CEO of DV Safe Phone, a registered charity based in Southeast Queensland, founded in 2020. As a Covid-19 lockdown loomed, Ashton sensed there would be people in need.
“I was surprised to hear from a friend in the Queensland Police that the best way to help domestic violence victims was supplying working phones to access essential services - trumping food, clothes or even toilet paper,” Ashton says.
“I knew that this is what I needed to do, and I started DV Safe Phone straight away with the lofty vision of providing every domestic violence victim in Australia access to a safe phone.”
DV Safe Phone collects smartphones from over 850 collection points from its home base in Mooloolaba, Queensland. The phones deemed fit for reuse are cleaned, reformatted, and sent to its Australia-wide network of more than 350 frontline DV agencies, police stations, hospitals, and safe houses. These safe phones can form part of an individual’s safety plan or enable them to look for work, get their children into school, and provide a better future.
DV Safe Phone offers a safe and economical way to do our bit for the environment. With every Australian generating up to 25kg of e-waste annually and only 20 per cent of mobile phones being recycled, DV Safe Phone can reuse approximately 35 per cent of the phones it receives. The rest are used for parts or recycled through its partner, MobileMuster.
“We are proud of the circular economy we have created that enables individuals and businesses to provide their working phones to DV Safe Phone, and those phones are to be given another life or recycled,” Ashton says.
“We’re making a huge contribution on two fronts. Since 2020, we’ve repurposed more than 8,500 safe phones to DV victim-survivors through our partners and recycled 13,300 phones through MobileMuster, diverting more than two tonnes of e-waste from landfills and conserving precious resources.”
There are many ways to support DV Safe Phone. You can donate funds or phones, fundraise on their behalf and even volunteer. Companies can partner with DV Safe Phone to raise awareness of domestic violence, meet ESG and CSR obligations, and support the program by donating phones or financial assistance.
Visit their website or follow them on Facebook and LinkedIn. Your recycled phone could save a life.
