Project Launch:

The rural community of La Esperanza Norte recently had the good fortune of receiving a government donated satellite Internet/telephone system to help improve the town’s communication and education capabilities. Although the new public phones were immediately of great benefit to community members, the benefit of the Internet went unnoticed because, given financial and educational limitations among the local population, not a single community member owns a computer or knows how to use one. Teachers at the town elementary school, who live in the city and commute to town, were familiar with computers and recognized the educational benefits associated with them, especially of learning basic computer skills at a young age, especially in a country whose job market demands computer knowledge. World Connect helped with a $443 grant from its Kids to Kids program that supported building a computer lab by the local elementary school. Funding went towards the purchase of 6 used computers and installation of a new electrical system installed by a professional electrician. The school contributed over 25% of the total project costs.