The Mobile Solar Computer Classroom is helping bridge the digital divide in Uganda by taking computer skills to remote schools and libraries across Uganda. Maendeleo Foundation crisscrosses Uganda taking computers and computer training to rural areas where most children and youth have never experienced modern technology. Through a digital literacy curriculum, our training builds; computer, basic literacy, critical thinking and creativity, skills of children, youth, teachers and librarians.
Rural areas of Uganda do not have access to technology, so students, teachers and community members lack access to computer skills and critical information. The infrastructure prevents them from ever getting the skills and tools they need to be part of the global village. Roads are nearly impassible in the areas we serve, deep in the village. Most villages have no electricity to power computers, so we take a solar systems with us.
The Mobile Solar Computer Classroom totally relies on the vehicles to carry our equipment and training teams to these impoverished areas.With our current small cars, we can stack equipment in the back, leaving room for two trainers each in the front. The demand for our services has increased so that we need to take more trainers and equipment upcountry. We need to purchase two used 4X4 vans to carry 2 teams of trainers each, plus double the equipment we now provide.
We can continue our work in very poor villages so that children and other community members can learn skills to enable them to get jobs and compete in this highly technology driven world. Our teams each serve 2,500 people per year. With four teams, we can serve 10,000 people per year. Many young people have gone on to work in IT, but more importantly, students and community members - women, girls, farmers, health workers - can now get skills and information to improve their livelihood.
