Camara Education has set up 2 computer labs each and installed computers in classrooms in Al-Huda Muslim Primary and Ngong Township Primary School in Kajiado County. The initiative is part of an ICT-in-education project in partnership with with Dell and Computer Aid. As part of the initiative computers set up in classrooms and solar powered labs.
The Solar Powered labs program is a fantastic initiative which helps to deliver sustainable and affordable connectivity to schools in some of the most underprivileged areas of the world. Using a combination of solar power, energy-efficient Dell Wyse technology and air-cooled servers, the labs are built into well-lit, well-ventilated shipping containers and help take electricity supply out of the equation while bringing internet connectivity into the heart of communities. This solution uses less than four percent of the energy of a typical PC.
To initiate the project, a process which began in early 2017, Camara Education and Dell – working with Ministry of Education and officials from the local community – identified the institutions to host the labs. These decisions were made on key criteria such as lack of access to electricity and the location of the schools (if close to an underserved community). The computers and equipment were provided by Dell and deployed by Camara Education. The project management of the deployment of the solar lab was driven by Computer Aid International.
The program was delivered in two phases – first, equipping of the classrooms with computers, beginning with Al Hudaa Muslim Primary School then Ngong Township Primary School in September 2017, then second, the deployment of the solar labs to both schools in late January 2018.
With the opening and official launch of the Primary School ICT learning and Solar Program at Al-Huda Muslim Primary School in Kajiado County, the number of Dell Learning Labs has now risen to 17 in total – that is two in Kenya, twelve labs in South Africa, with another one in Nigeria, Colombia and Morocco. The impact of the Dell Learning Labs so far is huge – nearly 7,500 students have benefited from the project during school hours, and many more members of communities have access to the labs after school. This access to technology and learning new skills boosts self-confidence, bringing quality of life and job opportunities into communities that need them the most.