Samsung Africa has unveiled a solar-powered Internet school (SPIS) in Senegal.
According to Ntutule Tshenye, head of public affairs & corporate citizenship, Samsung Africa, less than 25% of the continent's rural areas have access to reliable electricity supplies, leaving many isolated and disconnected. Remote areas often experience problems with power supply and rely on diesel- or petrol-driven generators, which are expensive to purchase and maintain.
"Samsung's solar power generator presents an alternative solution. It provides easy power accessibility at an affordable price, saving communities money on electricity costs, which can be used in other, more important, areas - such as infrastructure."
First launched in 2011, with installations in many countries throughout Africa, the solar powered Internet schools are completely independent classrooms that aim to increase accessibility to education and connectivity in remote areas of Africa.
Earlier this year, Samsung Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Vocational Education officially handed over a solar-powered Internet school in Kinshasa.
According to Samsung, each SPIS is built in a 12-metre-long repurposed shipping container, making them easily transportable via truck to remote areas. The schools are specifically designed for African conditions, and can withstand energy-scarce environments, harsh weather conditions and transportation over long distances.
"The classrooms can accommodate 24 learners. They include several insulation layers and a ventilation system to ensure a pleasant environment is maintained," says Samsung.
"The schools can be used as adult learning centres in the evenings and on weekends, and by the community in general to establish and run small businesses. This will create employment and improve living conditions for community members."
The company notes that fold-away solar panels provide enough energy to power the classrooms' equipment. The panels are made from rubber, rather than glass, ensuring they are hardy and durable enough to survive long journeys across the continent.
The SPIS forms part of Samsung's 'Built for Africa' campaign, which focuses on developing advanced solutions that meet Africa's unique needs, and its global "Hope for Children" initiative, which strives to directly impact the lives of five million Africans by 2015.
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