Tech for the World
By empowering students through digital technology, Peru is narrowing the educational divide.
After using smart tablets to conduct research, one group turns to the large interactive screen on the wall to present an idea for a new entrepreneurial venture as the other students listen intently.
This lesson is not happening in an ordinary classroom. Instead, it’s taking place in Huawei’s solar-powered smart truck, a mobile and multifunctional learning space equipped with Wi-Fi, touchscreens, and other cutting-edge technology.
These mobile classrooms have been rolled out across rural Peru as part of Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative, an ongoing campaign that leverages the company’s resources and expertise to create a more sustainable and inclusive world. The initiative aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and focuses on four key domains: education, environmental conservation, health, and rural development.
Bridging the
In Peru, these mobile classrooms have been crucial in lowering barriers to learning.
While the country has made considerable strides in education over the past decade, it still has a learning poverty rate of 55.7% , which indicates the percentage of children at the late-primary age who have not achieved basic reading proficiency. School dropout rates also remain an issue, as more than 17% of students do not complete secondary education.
Many of the challenges to education can be attributed to socioeconomic inequality. In lower-income families, a lack of career opportunities after graduation lowers students’ incentive to stay in school. Meanwhile, for those who do want to learn, gaps in resources and connectivity may prevent them from accessing quality education. Out of the more than 7.5 million students in Peru, more than 1.3 million live in rural areas , where less than 5% have access to the internet and are at risk of being left behind when it comes to learning opportunities. This digital divide had an especially devastating effect on students during the Covid-19 pandemic, as many who lived outside of metropolitan Lima were unable to participate in online classes due to the lack of technology and internet access.
To address the learning gap, Huawei has partnered with the Ministry of Education of Peru to provide training to schools in rural areas. Set to run from 2023 to 2025, the program’s initial phase saw the smart trucks visit five rural areas across three provinces, delivering a five-week program to high school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The syllabus, developed by non-profit education association Enseña Perú, has been created with students’ real-life needs in mind so they can reap long-term benefits. With classes that cover entrepreneurship, start-up methodologies, digital tools and platforms, digital marketing, and digital financial inclusion and citizenship, the program aims to empower students with the practical skills and knowledge required to earn a living through e-commerce after graduation.
“I am grateful we can now assist our students in becoming digitally literate. These workshops, which focus on teaching digital entrepreneurship, will be invaluable as they move forward to establish and run their own businesses.”
Jaime Quispe, Director of the Local Educational Management Unit of Huaytará
Empowerment through
Mobile classrooms have already started to make a difference in places like Huaytará, where students have completed the first round of courses.
During the first two months of the project, 300 students in rural Peru accessed training via these smart trucks.
While the program has yet to roll out in other parts of the region, Huawei has introduced a number of similar programs across South America to close the digital and educational divide. As of 2023, its ICT Academy has partnered with more than 458 universities in Latin America and the Caribbean, enhancing their digital training capacity and certifying over 60,000 students. The company has also launched installation and maintenance training programs for 4G and 5G operators in Chile and established an AI lab in Mexico to train local talents.
“We believe that everyone has the equal right to receive education. That’s why Huawei insists on working in the field of public education, not only for young talents studying in the ICT industry but also to let more primary and secondary students know the importance of technology, thereby opening the door to the world for them,” said Liu Jiaxin, CEO of Huawei Peru.
“Let’s work together to train those talents, so that they can build a more sustainable and connected future.”
Liu Jiaxin, CEO, Huawei Peru
