BY: KASSANDRA DZIKEWICZ

A classroom in a box fitted with everything from solar panels to computers is becoming the future of education in impoverished countries. Since not attending school has become a sense of normality for children in countries such as Kenya, a company called Aleutia has taken action to change this. This innovative company from the U.K. has recently implemented its newest project, “The Solar Classroom in a Box”. Since sunshine is in abundance in Kenya, why not harness that energy and transform it into electricity to power schools?

We so often hear that children are the future, but in places like Kenya if they are not provided with the tools to learn and grow then their future comes to a halt. According to UNESCO, one million children in Kenya do not attend school and more than half of these children are girls. This lack of education continues to hinder the growth of the country – if the youth are not being educated then they are unable to contribute to the economy.

These classrooms are easy to ship and powered by the Sun, which is not hard to come by in countries like Kenya.

These new schools are packed flat, easy to assemble, and could very well be the solution. The company is hoping that through its pilot program it will be able to provide education for 20,000 young children in Kenya. This creative way to educate has already been implemented in 47 places throughout Kenya.

These new schools are packed flat, easy to assemble, and offer a solution to the lack of education in impoverished countries.

Originally the company was thinking of using shipping containers for the schools, but the containers were old and needed a lot of work to be transformed into classrooms. On top of that a lot of labour and machinery would be required to set up the classrooms, resulting in unnecessary costs. Instead the company revamped the idea, and came up with this ingenious plan.

In order to create this classroom, Aleutia has worked closely with the University of Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape, and architects in Nairobi to create a structure that is easily transportable, made of local materials, and has a low cost.

This company is hoping that through its pilot program it will be able to provide education for 20,000 children in Kenya. This creative way to educate has already been implemented in 47 places throughout Kenya.

The company has everything needed for a classroom packed away in the box for convenience. From solar panels to a screw driver, which is the only tool needed for assembly. Once you open the box, there is no need to call on construction workers, heavy equipment or machinery.

The classroom kit comes with 11 energy efficient computers for the teacher and the students.

The classroom can easily be built in 48 hours or less and measures 20 x 10 x 8 ft. Not only is this classroom kit quick and easy to set up, but it also comes with 11 energy efficient computers – one computer for the teacher, which is set with information and lessons, and ten computers for the students.

The classroom can easily be built in 48 hours or less.

Once the school is put together and the solar panels are functioning, the classroom makes for an ideal learning space. This past July the company built its first school in Kiambu County, which is just north of Kenya’s capital. After the success of the first ‘Solar Classroom in a Box’, the company hopes to have the rest of the classrooms set up in the next few months.

Sources: aleutia.com,  gizmag.com