This CNN Hero upcycles old computers to open new worlds for young Kenyans
A CNN Hero and creator of the CNN Hero App, Chris Zavala, has been busy with his new venture, a new business called the “Smart City,” that uses old computers to become the next generation of cities in Kenya. As part of this new venture, he has begun to upcycle computers which were originally meant for military use.
In a video shared on Twitter, Zavala talks about his efforts to create better public education in a country with great resources for the education.
“So, here I am now, building the infrastructure for the future. You have your computers, I have my computers, we have the same purpose, to build a world of computers. So, I started thinking of how we would build computer labs in our communities.” – Chris Zavala in the video
Zavala hopes to have more than 1000 computer labs in all regions of Kenya eventually. Zavala says the aim is to create a generation in Kenya that will learn by following a new curriculum.
“We are starting from a foundation. As we build computers here in schools, we are making sure that we are able to have the right foundation.”
Zavala says that computers cannot do what they were designed for, it is about doing things differently. Zavala says there is a reason why computers have become obsolete. He says they were designed to become “molecular computers“ to help researchers and students do science and research from home.
He says a new computing paradigm is needed to make them useful for everyone in a society. He says the world needs to switch to mobile technologies. He says the new paradigm will create an environment that can bring together people of all colors and nations. He says this will allow a more open and connected world with more understanding and respect for diversity.
“It’s all about this paradigm. No more, no less, we are working to build this future world of computers. We are building it together.”
The CNN Hero App was made available on Android with support for
