World Vision Finland utilized Smart Solar Media backpacks to enhance learning in remote and hard-to-reach areas for children in schools and communities.
Introduction:
The experimentation aimed to test if the Smart Solar Media system (SSM) mobile solar-powered audio-visual equipment could enhance engaged learning in schools and communities.
Several World Vision operation areas in Kenya are remote and do not have access to electricity or reliable power. Therefore, using audio-visual tools, videos and material are often not possible. However, with a projector that is not dependent on the availability of grid electricity, it was possible to use digital audio-visual materials to help community training and learning in schools to become more effective and exciting.
Results:
World Vision staff in Finland and Kenya were familiarized with the Smart Solar Media system and subsequently used it to train their community project beneficiaries and teach in schools. Before the introduction of the media backpacks, skills training in primary schools was done inefficiently without audio-visual content. The use of audio-visual content attracted the attention of learners as well as inspired learning. With the introduction of solar backpacks, training of all beneficiaries would be possible at the community level and with the use of engaging digital materials.
Scaling:
The experiment has potential for scale in other regions where World Vision works in Kenya and Uganda, extending to World Vision stakeholders and partners with a focus on the education sector.
World Vision Finland: Solar Media Backpacks in Training (PDF)