| Solar-powered Computers for Rural Schools With the computer now an indispensable tool for productivity in almost every field, support for bringing computers into schools in developing countries continues to gain momentum. Although a much talked about issue, closing the digital divide that currently exists between isolated communities and fully developed areas will continue to a serious challenge, since 2 billion people around the world still live without electricity. EduSol can help shrink the gap, by bringing solar modules and laptop computers to selected rural schools in unelectrified regions, and providing access to resources that increase educational and employment opportunities for the children who participate. Students involved in EduSol programs learn basic keyboard and mouse skills, become familiar with a variety of computer programs, play educational CD-ROM games in Spanish and gain access to reference resources such as CD-ROM based encyclopedias. Three EduSol schools now have wireless connections to the Internet and, over time, where feasible, EduSol hopes to connect every project site to the Internet. Enersol has completed 16 EduSol projects in Latin America. Here is a sampling of those projects: Dominican Republic Haiti Honduras |
