Samsung plans to reach one million people through its Solar Powered Health Centres by 2015 as part of its broader corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The consumer electronics brand unveiled the prototype for the centre at the Samsung Africa Forum, in Cape Town, this week. The energy-efficient centres will provide much-needed medical assistance to rural communities around the continent.
"Imagine a business, clinic or school without access to power," said Thierry Boulanger, director for IT solutions and B2B for Samsung Electronics Africa, at the event. "Samsung is offering these communities the ultimate solution to these energy problems."
The clinic on show featured an eye- and blood-testing clinic, as well as a dental and ear clinic, all powered by solar panels on the structure's roof. There are also plans to deploy a similar mother and child healthcare centre in the near future.
"We are not only focusing on SA; there are plans to roll out these clinics across the rest of Africa," aid Kea Modimoeng, head of corporate citizenship for Samsung. "With this kind of unit, the aim is to test students and then send healthy children to the solar-powered Internet school and perform at an optimal level."
Also on show at the Africa Forum was the brand's Solar Powered Internet School, housed in a 12-metre container, powered by 24 solar panels on the roof.
The solar-powered school concept, originally launched in October 2011, is a container customised to accommodate as many as 28 learners, said Modimoeng. There is already an Internet school at Phomolong Secondary School, in Tembisa, and the implementation has seen the matric pass rate at the school increase from 89% in 2011 to 97% at the end of 2012.
According to Boulanger, the Internet school was developed through collaboration between Samsung, Microsoft, Intel and learnthings Africa.
"We don't just sell products, we sell solutions. This technology demonstrates how the sun and Samsung change lives," Boulanger concluded.
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