South Africa gets

Poor rural communities in South Africa are benefiting from a new initiative using solar power and internet to provide health and education. <br /><br />The so-called “smart villages” are made up of shipping containers and other self contained high-tech trucks kitted out as health centres and schools, all running on solar power. They can be moved hundreds of kilometres to remote locations. A recently opened “smart school” in the isolated Midrand area provides each student with a computer and internet access. <br /><br />“Where I come from, it’s a very disadvantaged area, where most of the children are not exposed to such technology,” says former digital village student Lefa Makgato. “So being exposed to such technology helped me a lot in learning the basics about using a computer, which I did not have. I learned how to send e-mails, draft letters on a computer, and that’s how I actually applied for university. So that’s how it changed our lives and that’s how we benefited.” <br /><br />The medical centre, which also runs on solar power, provides eye, ear and dental care as well as state of the art blood-analysis facilities. Registered nurses are being trained to use the digital village technology, which enables doctors to assist patients with diagnosis from anywhere in the world through video conferencing.<br /><br />Future plans for the village include police offices and postal services.