[Mozambique] Startup Kameleon brings internet access to rural areas

Mozambican technology startup company Kamaleon is bringing Internet access to remote rural areas through a platform called “Community Tablet” (Tablet Comunitário).

The Community Tablet is an innovative and engaging way of getting educational messages across various communities. Since 92.9% of the Mozambican population still has no internet access, the Community Tablet aims to promote digital inclusion and ensure that more people have access to information and communication technologies. By facilitating interaction with the virtual world, Kamaeleon also offers training on how to use the Internet and its features to members of these remote regions. At present the Community Tablet covers Mozambique, however there are plans to expand across Africa soon.

The initiative was developed in 2016 by Dayn Amade as a unique solution that aims to bring information technology to those in rural areas in the form of a Community Tablet. The Community tablet, which was rolled out in November 2016, is an effective solution for schools, health departments and hospitals to develop engaging health education messages for the community as opposed to distributing leaflets with health information.

Kamaleon has built a product that is robust enough to cope with the harshest of conditions on the road; there is an integrated refrigeration system to cool down the electronics powered by solar panels and remove humidity inside the truck. Solar panels and a refrigeration system allow the touch screen display to operate without interruption 24/7. The tablet’s screen is protected from harsh weather conditions, allowing continued usage on rainy, windy or extremely hot days.

Mozambique remains one of the countries in Africa and the world with a low percentage of the population with Internet access, standing at only 7.1%, i.e. 92.9% of the population does not have access to the Internet (Source: Internet World Stats, 2016).
Despite the growth of smart devices/internet access across Africa, there are still some areas that are cut-off from the virtual world. Kamaleon offers internet access and training on how to use the internet and its features

“A few years ago anyone who could not read and write was considered illiterate, but today this concept goes further, encompassing people who do not know how to use information and communication technologies. The Community Tablet is here to change that”, said Dayn Amade.

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