iPad For Zimbabwe: Apple sun-powered iPads headed to school children

iPad headed for Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe has had its troubles in the past with hyperinflation, a volatile government, and presently unemployment is through the roof. Despite having a government which has expressed unsavory feelings towards abroad corporations, the government of Zimbabwe has taken a bite out of Apple. A co-op has been formed between the tech giant and the government to lend support in the classroom, that support, iPads. The iPads will be slightly different than the ones many consumers already have, with access to electricity being restricted to only the ‘fortunate’ these iPads will be powered by the sun, something Zimbabwe gets plenty of. The confirmation of the story came via a post on Facebook, Zimbabwean minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart posted that he had a “great meeting with Apple” and unveiled a new “School Box” using which Zimbabwe will be able to “bring computerized teaching aids to the poorest schools.” The days of only upper-class students toting an iPad around are over. Education is directly related to opportunity, bringing children into the 21st Century courtesy of Apple will be an opportunity for the true 99 ‘percenters’ to use modern technology. Today Zimbabwe tomorrow another country and another, soon enough the entire world might be using iPads. Nice humanitarian effort on Apples part, or a smart business decision. In November 2010, the IMF described the Zimbabwean economy as “completing its second year of buoyant economic growth after a decade of economic decline”. One question remains, will Android run devices jump on the bandwagon? We reported about the $35 Android tablet which was released earlier this month in India.

No word on the number of iPads being put in hands of Zimbabwean school children, how many ever it is, will it be enough to affect the 11% of the african population currently online?

I found this cool accessory and it fits the Zimbabwean theme perfectly:

Zimbabwe iPad Case