Lab on wheels: UAE expat bridges digital divide in rural India through unique lessons for children

Lab on wheels: UAE expat bridges digital divide in rural India through unique lessons for children

Published: Sat 13 Apr 2024, 4:09 PM Last updated: Sat 13 Apr 2024, 4:30 PM

For Mohammed Haneef Puttur, an Indian expat residing in the UAE, teaching computer science to rural children was just a dream until few decades ago. Wondering how his dream came true? A little hint — an unconventional classroom without walls.

To fulfil his lifelong goal, Puttur launched a bus equipped with 17 laptops in remote areas of Karnataka in India.

Puttur, who hails from a village called Aryapu, found inspiration from his journey of educational limitations. Despite completing his engineering degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Malnad College of Engineering in 1999, he faced a significant gap in computer literacy. “I learned to operate a computer only after completing my engineering. I did not even lay my hands on a computer during my college days,” said Puttur.

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Determined to ensure others didn't face similar hurdles, Puttur initiated a project – ‘Class on Wheels’ to provide rural children with access to essential computer knowledge.

Mohammed Haneef is currently working as Cloud & Infrastructure Manager at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre Lab at University of Dubai.

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