VOA慢速英语2015 移动计算机实验室帮助内罗毕贫民窟成千上百人

 

Mobile Computer Lab Helps Thousands in Nairobi Slum 移动计算机实验室帮助内罗毕贫民窟成千上百人

Kawangware is one of the fastest-growing slums in Nairobi, Kenya. It is also the poorest. Most of the 300,000 people who live there try to survive on less than $1 a day.

But one non-profit group is working to give Kenya’s poorest citizens access to technology. The Craft Silicon¹ Foundation provides people who live in Kawangware a computer lab and computer training on a mobile bus. The bus has 12 computers powered by the sun through solar panels.

Allan Mideva is one of the students learning basic computer skills. The mobile computer lab is an opportunity he normally could not afford. His mother earns about $2 a day washing clothes. 

Allan Mideva says he had to make only a one-time payment of $2.20 to show he was serious about studying. He adds that the mobile computer lab enables students to have computer skills.

The Craft Silicon Foundation began offering free information and communication technology classes to poor young people in 2009.

The training takes 10 weeks. If students pass a test at the end of the training, they receive certificates of graduation. So far, the mobile computer lab has helped about 7,000 students.

Craft Silicon has offices in Kenya, Tanzania, India and the United States. Kamal Budhabhatti is the chief executive officer of the company. He says the Craft Silicon Foundation promotes computer literacy as part of its responsibility to society. 

“Education is still a luxury at some of these slums, so we believe that as much as it is so important, we must go to slum areas where they cannot afford to get technological² education.”

The government of Kenya also plans to increase Internet literacy and access to information. Government officials want to provide free Internet access to all the slums in Nairobi.

For now, the students from Kawangware look forward to completing their computer training and working to better their futures³.

Words in this Story

certificate – n. a document that is official proof you have finished school or a course of training

literacy – n. knowledge that relates to a specified⁴ subject

slum – n. an area of a city where poor people live and the buildings are in bad condition

solar panel – n. a large, flat piece of equipment that uses the sun's light or heat to create electricity

1 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

2 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

3 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

4 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。