Samsung Electronics East Africa has launched the first Solar Powered Internet School (SPIS) at Kamabare School, Rwanda in a bid to propel students to pursue innovative solutions to drive the growth by providing a technology-rich learning and teaching environment.

The programme focuses on the deployment of ICT infrastructure, professional development of educators and has a vision to reach over 2.5 million students in Africa by 2015. The SPIS is a 40-foot shipping container that Samsung equips with 24 laptops plus one for the teacher, a multi-purpose Samsung printer, a 50-inch electronic board, a server, internet and the solar panels. All these devices are optimized for use in a solar-powered environment.

"The fold-away solar panels provide enough energy to power the classroom's equipment for up to nine hours a day. The solar-panels are made from rubber instead of glass to ensure they are hardy and durable enough to survive long journeys across the continent," said Robert Njeru, Samsung Vice President for East and Central Africa.

In partnership with Intel the firm will pre-install content on the tablet computers after the company signed a Memorandum of understanding to collaborate with the Rwandan government in a number of sectors; health, job creation, security, e-governance and education.