Going green while educating youngsters about Information Technology sounds like the perfect recipe for a better future for the planet. A school (Prince of Wales school) in Sierra Leone is going to be the first such in the country and it is hoped will lay the groundwork for several others. The estimated total capital cost of the project is between $60,000 and $70,000 and shall include a solar power system and a satellite based broadband internet access.

The Prince Of Wales Alumni Association (POWAA) branch in the U.S. state of Georgia is paying for the system to be installed.

The solar power basics will comprise photovoltaic (PV) panels, batteries, three charge controllers, inverters, meter and breakers. The system will require about 30 solar panels to produce a total wattage of between 5 kilowatts and 6kw. A Wi-Fi network is also on the cards to allow faculty and students already having their own laptops to access the internet from the school. Projects of a similar nature have shown that pass rates increase by about 15-20% in students after being given access to computers and the internet. No surprises there - perhaps if all of Africa stopped with their internal strife and paid attention to their future generation then the world would be an infinitely better place to live in. At least most nations in Asia are trying. Its heart breaking to see all the potential in Africa go to waste.

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