A digital drum: to provide information to parents but also to engage children
How to share information with parents about education and how to engage children in some learning activities/ games. Issues of access to information and technology have been highlighted in various research post, here is a project done by UNICEF in Uganda.
'The Digital Drum’ is a project run by UNICEF in Uganda to increase access to information. It is a solar-powered computer kiosk made out of rugged, locally available materials.
The technology behind is simple:
"Consisting of low-cost oil drums welded together, waterproof keyboards, solar panels, and low-power laptops, the durable design ensures sustainability, and with its preloaded content dealing with health and education, the drums will serve as veritable information portals.
On the Uganda context:
"Today, less than 10 per cent of Ugandans use the Internet. Rural communities especially struggle from a lack of access to information, but access also eludes those living in the poorest urban spaces, such as children living in the slum by Kamwokya."
Hence, “the innovative technologies like these actually help create a digital bridge between those who have access to the Internet and those who don’t, in a low-cost sturdy fashion,” explained Sharad Sapra, UNICEF Representative in Uganda.
Excerpts from http: //www.unicef.org/infobycountry/uganda_60096.html
These drums can be located in central areas in the villabe building on current social networks and become also places where discussions about education, health, nutrition, between parents, but also between parents and children can take place.
Depending on the local context and on more research, different contents can be created, targeted towards adults or young children, or pre-teens and teens.
How can we use simple innovative technology to provide information access to parents on education as well as basic education opportunities to children?
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CommentBettina Fliegel
Anne-Laure Fayard