Having little or no access to the internet can hinder students and learners hence a solar-powered computer lab in the Overberg town of Barrydale has been opened for young people. The lab was set up in November by Net vir Pret, in partnership with the University of Cape Townâs Studentsâ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (SHAWCO) and sponsored by Dell Technologies.
Sponsored by Dell, these solar computer labs can be found in countries across the world including Mexico, Colombia, Morocco, Kenya and Ethiopia.In South Africa, similar solar classrooms are at a primary school in Nyanga, the SHAWCO offices in Kensington, the Waverley Girlsâ High School in Johannesburg and Zithulele village in the Eastern Cape.
Net vir Pret will become a satellite campus of the Robertson Community Learning Centre. They also run the popular annual Barrydale puppet parade and other projects aimed at assisting deprived youth in the Overberg region.
In Barrydale, the lab fits into a standard shipping container, with ten computers, a server, and air-conditioning. It is solar-powered, although there is access to electricity if needed. âThe setup is like a mini-internet cafe,â said Judith Cornell, Interim Director of SHAWCO, which focuses on health and education in developing communities.
She said trainers from the Robertson Community Learning Centre would come to Barrydale to conduct training in the lab and students from SHAWCO would also run short programmes during holidays.
Net vir Pret Administrator, Derek Joubert said 30 people had already registered for various courses in Barrydale and classes are expected to start in early 2021.The youngest is 15 and the oldest is 34.âThere are people who have dropped out of school ⊠so this gives them the opportunity to go back,â said Joubert, who also runs a programme aimed at getting Barrydale learners into tertiary studies.
