The Uros people of Peru live on floating islands.
How do you provide power for computers and access to the Internet for a classroom that is miles from the nearest electrical outlet? With some help from a solar energy program, the Uros (OO•rohs) people have the answer.
The Uros are a native people of Peru. They live on small, floating islands on Lake Titicaca, in the southeastern part of the country. Although the Uros don’t have access to electric power lines, they do get plenty of sunshine. Euro-Solar, a program of the European Union, has provided the Uros with solar power cells. These power cells convert the sun’s heat into electricity. Euro-Solar has also donated five laptop computers, a printer and scanner, a projector, a water purifier, a satellite antenna for Internet access, and a refrigerator. This kit is just 1 of the 600 kits that Euro-Solar has given to communities in South and Central America.
The combination of solar power, computers, and satellite Internet access has helped the Uros set up a modern classroom for 60 students. The students are already using the laptop computers to do some of their schoolwork. They now have access to all the knowledge and information available on the Internet. The Internet also helps connect them to the rest of the world.
Euro-Solar’s goal is to improve education and health care for people living in remote areas. The technology in their kits provides these people with access to electricity, a way to purify drinking water, and refrigeration for important medicines. The Uros are among the more than 300,000 people that Euro-Solar has helped since 2007.
Image credit: ©Aflo Co. Ltd./Alamy
Related Link
- The Euro-Solar Kit
Learn more about the Euro-Solar kit from illustrations and descriptions.
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