Aleutia founder Mike Rosenberg has built a desktop computer hardy enough to deal with the dusty heat of Africa. Now, his Solar Classroom in a Box project hopes to bring this technology to areas where access to a computer would be otherwise unlikely.
After successes in Uganda and 9 other developing countries, Aluetia will embark on its biggest solar classroom roll-out so far – installing prefab classrooms in each of Kenya’s 47 counties.
The $20 000 classrooms contain 10 computers, 11 monitors, a server, a projector and monitor, and 3G and Satellite connectivity, all powered by 4 solar panels, making it completely independent from standard electrical infrastructure. This is ideal in countries subjected to load shedding or areas where electrical infrastructure is non-existent.
The classrooms are all easy to transport so as to overcome road infrastructure and cost challenges facing rural communities. Each classroom can fit on the back of a flatbed truck when disassembled, and takes roughly one day to construct.
“By providing all the components in a kit, the Solar Classroom in a Box can be installed in a day by a local handyman rather than an expensive specialist. The panels simply need to be secured and a hole put through the roof to connect to the batteries. This solar system solution is so flexible that site surveys are not needed in advance,” wrote the company.
Construction on Kenya’s new batch of solar classrooms is already underway and once completed, it is expected to service 20 000 children.
