Philanthropists keen to back 20-year-old student's solar-powered computer project

Most high school students dream of changing the world one day. But recent Hong Kong International School graduate Charles Watson has made his mark sooner than most.

The 20-year old, now in his second gap year, has moulded a school service project into an entrepreneurial venture that literally illuminates parts of the developing world. Through his company SolarLEAP he has built and distributed over 100 solar-powered computers to schools located in Nepal, Ghana, the Philippines, and other parts of the world.

'We are at the point where one of these students in an off-grid area will have exactly the same computer experience as I would have with a desktop computer here in Hong Kong,' Watson said.

Watson has initially targeted schools that already have a solar power infrastructure and developed computers for them that can run faster and longer than the standard out-of-the-box model. He also uploaded a comprehensive library of educational materials on to each computer to supplement classroom materials.

And now that his idea has gained traction, venture philanthropy firm Sow Asia has come knocking at the door. It aims to help Watson bring his company to the next level in much the same way a venture capital firm works with a start-up business.

'In Nepal and Ghana for six months of my first gap year I was working entirely alone [handling] the fund raising, the building of the computers, everything. And it was just not efficient,' Watson said. 'With Sow's help I have been introduced to a whole range of contacts.'