Sam won the Evolution Zone in June 2011. He’s spent his prize money on a very good cause:

Many thanks for the £500 prize money. I have donated it to Village Education Project Kilimanjaro. This is a charity dedicated to improving education (including science education) in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. In this part of the world most schools are in a terrible condition. As the subsistence farming lifestyle wanes, children of today will be unable to follow in the footsteps of their fathers. They will need education in order to achieve new jobs and new homes in the future. Science education is a big part of this.

The village computer centre in Tanzania with solar panel

The £500 will almost entirely pay for the solar paneling on the computer centre to be replaced. Electricity usually cuts out for a few hours a day, which entirely paralyses the computer centre for example.

In the computer centre, access to the internet is provided. This is how most local students learn important exam results – a big deal, which was recently delayed by a day because of the electricity shortage. The computer centre also provides printing services, photocopying, as well as training sessions on everything from email to various pieces of software. In the future there are plans to turn the centre into a youth centre with a library, and screening of films (including science documentaries).

This money will make a huge difference in the education of children in this under-developed part of the world.