Huawei has unveiled the second DigiTruck project, in partnership with Computer for school Kenya and a Belgium based non-profit organization Close the Gap, to provide digital skills training to rural and remote communities in Kenya.
The DigiTruck is designed to deliver digital and entrepreneurial skills to remote communities through mobile digital classrooms converted from 40 feet cargo containers.
The DigiTruck is equipped with wireless broadband enabled by Fixed Wireless Access, laptops and smart phones enabling digital and entrepreneurial skills to be taught aboard and incorporating VR content in digital education. It also has solar panels and batteries capable of powering it, so it can reach remote rural villages with no electricity. The devices inside the truck are refurbished, extending the life of these devices.
According to the World Bank’s latest report which points out that Africa’s demand for digital skills in 2030 is as high as 230 million people, which is in stark contrast to the current prevailing lack of digital skills in Africa.
“In Kenya, for example, despite being the ICT hub in Africa, internet users account for less than 50% of the total population, not only because more than 75% of the population live in remote areas, lacking stable power supply, but also because many people do not realize the real value of digital skills, who have never been exposed to smartphones or used the internet,” the company stated.
