SafeCampus Logo
Dashboard
Safety Helplines
Physical & Mental Health Support
Appointment Bookings Pop-up
Location Tracking Permission
Live Location Tracking
View Shared Locations
Notifications
SOS Button

SafeCampus - Empowering Campus Safety

Overview

SafeCampus is a mobile app designed to enhance campus safety by providing discreet emergency alerts, real-time incident notifications, and mental health support resources. Developed by students for students, SafeCampus aims to create a secure learning environment where everyone can thrive without fear.

Watch our project overview video

Team Members

Phila Haanyama
Lulama Lingela
Bume Mxenge

Technologies Used

Flutter and Dart for app development
Thunkable for the initial prototype
Pixso for UI design

Inspiration

As university students, we've all heard or experienced stories of safety concerns on campus—incidents that can leave a lasting mark. Fear shouldn't limit our potential, and that’s why we created SafeCampus.

We aim to address safety concerns such as gender-based violence and provide resources for mental health support, in alignment with UN SDG 5: Gender Equality. Our goal is to create a safer community for all students by:

Meeting urgent safety needs
Enhancing well-being and security on campus
Potentially reducing cases of GBV in the campus vicinity

Competitor Analysis

We took inspiration from several existing apps to enhance SafeCampus:

Noonlight: Silent alerts, real-time location sharing, emergency services dispatch.
Bsafe: Panic button functionality with a loud siren and contact alerts.
Citizen: Real-time support from a network of safety volunteers.
Safer: Insights into local student safety concerns in South Africa.

By analysing these apps, we aim to create a comprehensive and effective mobile solution to empower students and foster a safer campus environment.

Key Features

Emergency Panic Button:
- Sends live location to Campus Protection Services (CPS) and emergency contacts.
- Real-time tracking until safe or alert is cancelled.
Incident Alerts:
- Push notifications and an incident map showing recent safety threats.
Anonymous Abuse Reporting & Support:
- Confidential reporting and direct messaging with campus support services.
Mental Health Support:
- Easy booking for campus psychologists or counsellors and crisis contact options.
Daily Safety Tips & Resources:
- Safety reminders, emergency guides, and essential contacts.
Customisable Safety Profiles:
- Detailed profiles with medical information and personalised safety preferences.

Challenges We Faced

Technical Challenges:
- Choosing the right development platform and learning new technologies.
- Addressing mobile-specific issues like offline functionality.
Stakeholder Collaboration:
- Engaging with campus security and wellness centres to ensure a coordinated response.

Future Plans for SafeCampus

Expansion: Scale from UCT to other universities across South Africa.
Partnerships: Collaborate with student organisations, campus security, and mental health experts.
Empowering Student Leadership: Involve student representatives and ambassadors to drive SafeCampus initiatives.

Upcoming Features

Adaptive Learning Safety Tips:
- Personalised safety tips based on user behaviour, using APIs like Azure Cognitive Services or AWS Personalize.
Multi-Language Support with Instant Translation:
- Real-time translation for emergency communications and safety resources to ensure inclusivity.
Biometric Access:
- Enhanced security through biometric authentication using APIs like Apple’s Touch ID/Face ID or Android’s BiometricPrompt API.
Additional SOS Activation Methods:
- Future updates will add activation options like shaking the phone or using voice commands. We also plan to include voice and video evidence, sent with your live location.

Get Involved

We welcome collaboration and feedback! Whether you're a developer, designer, or student interested in enhancing campus safety, feel free to contribute or contact us.