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UNICEF deploys repurposed oil drum kiosks for Ugandan youth

UNICEF Uganda, in partnership with international design service provider Design Without Borders, has finished the design of its second-generation Digital Kiosk project of community computers.

September 4, 2014

UNICEF Uganda, in partnership with international design service provider Design Without Borders, has finished the design of its second-generation Digital Kiosk project of community computers. The computers will be installed in youth and community centers, colleges and business and education hubs, according to a Gizmag article on the Design Without Borders website.

The kiosks will run on general-purpose electricity lines where available and on solar power in remote areas. The purpose of the project is to provide educational tools for Ugandan youth.

The kiosk design required a system that could withstand frequent use and be easily repaired. The newest kiosks include bigger "scratch-resistant plexiglass" screens and public screens above for presentations and videos.  The stations sit atop a repurposed oil drum and are named the Digital Drum. The Drum functions as a kiosk enclosure encompassing all electrical components and as a tabletop divided into three booths "with webcams, microphones, speakers and a USB charging port," the article said. 

"UNICEF has worked with Design without Borders over the last year to do a lot of user testing with the youth in Uganda and get user feedback on the previous version of the Digital Kiosk," UNICEF Technology for Development Unit Coordinator Stefan Bock said in the article. "All information gathered fed into and led to the new design of the Digital Drum 2.0."

Watch the video below to see the new kiosks:

UNICEF has also partnered with kiosk provider Coinstar for the 64-year old Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.

As part of the campaign, American children go door-to-door asking for spare coins for the program. Collected funds provide children around the world "medicine, nutrition, clean water, emergency relief and education," according to a press release.

Coinstar's role as a sponsor allows donors to contribute their change to Trick-or-Treat UNICEF through participating Coinstar kiosks.