I am establishing a computer lab in Kamuli Town, Uganda for two purposes: first, for the educational needs of the students, and second, to help pay for the students' school fees through a profit-generating internet center.
I am partnering with The 52 Kids Foundation, which will host the six super energy-efficient computers that I will be building. 52 Kids owns a dorm in Kamuli Town that runs on solar electricity, with an existing internet connection. The kids will receive the training to use the computers, and we hope that they (along with the dorm mother) will also be running the business after I leave. The computers will be loaded with educational software, and will have access to the internet. The basic plan is to charge the public for hourly use of the internet, which is a growing industry in Uganda.
Many of the kids in the dorm are orphans from the HIV/AIDS epidemic, while others are at risk for dropping out of school. Kamuli District was hit hard by HIV/AIDS, even by Ugandan standards. The United Nations estimates that in the late 1980's, upwards of 29% of Ugandans contracted HIV/AIDS, and 1.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. Today, the figures range between 5 to 15% of adults. Additionally, the Ugandan government is unable to provide universal primary education, leaving many children and families to pay for tuition, uniforms, books, and other supplies.
This computer lab is only one piece of a broader effort to help the children of only one part of Uganda. It will allow the children to learn competitive skills, access the world's knowledge through the internet, and pay for their school fees. Most importantly, it's a sign that we know their stories, and we haven't turned our backs.
