The children of Dago in the Eastern Region of Ghana now have access to the internet, thanks to the newly launched Solar Powered Internet Schools.
The project, which is a result of a joint-venture between Samsung electronics and the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Education, has been made by outfitting a 40FT mobile shipping container with desks, a 65-inch electronic board, Internet-enabled solar-powered notebooks, Samsung Galaxy tablet computers and Wi-Fi cameras, children can receive a technology-rich education without travelling far. A
All these devices are optimized for use in a solar powered environment. It also has a central server, which stores the curriculum up to grade 12 for teachers and students to access and discuss. The e-board allows for cross-group collaboration across geographical boundaries. Its can concurrently run video conferencing, access the internet, and connect to the tablet computers in the container.
Managing Director in charge of Samsung West Africa, Harry Park, stated that the project is replicated in some other African countries by Samsung to help promote education in deprived communities.
The Minister in charge of education in Ghana, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the government of the Republic of Korea and to Samsung Electronics for donating the Solar-Powered Internet School.
She noted that the government of Ghana has committed itself to transforming the Ghanaian economy into an information rich and knowledge based economy and society using the tools of ICT.
“In this regard, a comprehensive program of rapid deployment and utilisation of ICT was introduced into the educational and other sectors, with the aim of improving lives through finding answers to the many questions relating to health care, education, infrastructure, and social amenities etc which confront us as a people,” she added.