Innovative tech empowers school safety
Over the past year, 1334 public schools and early childhood development centres have suffered from burglaries resulting in the theft of educational ICT equipment.
Memeza Community Safety, based in Halfway Gardens, has partnered with technology platform AURA to revolutionise school safety and curb crime in South Africa.
The collaboration combines data-driven insights and innovative technology to address critical security needs in vulnerable communities.
The objective of this partnership is to safeguard the future of South African children and the educational ICT required for their development by tackling critical issues related to school safety and crime prevention in areas without formal response networks.
According to Memeza, over the past year, 1 334 public schools and early childhood development centres have suffered from burglaries resulting in the theft of educational ICT equipment.
This theft poses a significant threat to the education of our youth, and illiterate youth are more likely to become involved in criminal activities.
Vulnerable schools in township areas face challenges affording security measures, and their high-risk status makes it difficult for them to secure insurance coverage, leaving them unable to replace stolen educational ICT equipment.
Memeza’s unique security solution serves as an early detection system that helps proactively identify potential threats.
In case of an attempted burglary, the system alerts the Memeza monitoring centre through sound and visuals.
On verification, the centre mobilises public response structures, with AURA playing a pivotal role in linking to the wider private security response sector.
AURA’s technology automatically dispatches the nearest vetted armed responder to each school.
Thanks to this collaboration and other key collaborators, Memeza has achieved a remarkable 98% success rate in preventing educational ICT theft.
The schools involved have also recorded a 100% insurance claim payout rate.
CEO and co-founder of Memeza Community Safety, Elmarie Pereira said they partnered with AURA because of their track record and global leadership in making instant and reliable security and medical assistance more accessible and affordable through cutting-edge technology.
“As Memeza Community Safety and AURA embark on this transformative journey, we recognise the critical role of safeguarding educational ICT in our schools. South Africa grapples with a significant and persistent challenge – a high crime rate that impacts communities and threatens the future of our children,” Pereira explained.
“We are dedicated to creating a safe educational environment and fighting crime. Our goal is to eliminate the shadows of insecurity that have long plagued our communities. Together, we can make a difference in strengthening school safety and contributing to a safer South Africa for all.”
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