The Kumu Project delivers solar-powered digital libraries to remote Pacific Island and New Zealand rural communities — no internet required.
The Kumu Project is a philanthropic initiative operating across Australasia and the Pacific Islands. We believe that geography should never be a barrier to quality education — whether you live on a remote Pacific island or in a rural New Zealand community.
Our goal is simple: provide free knowledge to the communities that need it most. Many rural schools in New Zealand, just like those in Vanuatu, lack the same access to educational resources that urban students take for granted.
"Kumu" means teacher in Hawaiian — a name that reflects our deepest purpose.
Each device we install contains 10 years' worth of educational resources for children aged 5 to 15. Content spans articles, videos, millions of pages, and digital books that can be downloaded and printed — all accessible via computer networks or wireless devices.
Teachers benefit too. The platform supports lesson planning with regularly updated content across a rich range of subjects — making it a genuinely useful tool for classroom educators, not just students.
All content is stored on a single, easily updated memory card — making maintenance simple even in the most remote locations.
Subject areas covered
RACHEL (Remote Area Community Hotspot for Education and Learning) is a Raspberry Pi-based device that creates a local Wi-Fi network loaded with offline educational content — completely free to access.
Broadcasts a Wi-Fi network within a 30-metre radius. Students connect using smartphones, tablets, or laptops — just like a regular internet connection, but entirely local.
A small solar panel and battery pack powers the device fully off-grid — ideal for remote schools in Vanuatu and rural New Zealand with no reliable electricity supply.
Khan Academy, Wikipedia, CK-12 textbooks, health resources, and more — all preloaded and available without any internet connection, in multiple languages.
Built on affordable Raspberry Pi hardware. Durable, low-power, and simple to maintain — making it practical to donate, ship, and service in remote regions.
What began as one person's determination has grown into an initiative serving communities across the Pacific and New Zealand.
Inspired by World Possible and the RACHEL platform, the Kumu Project was founded to bring offline digital libraries to remote Pacific and New Zealand communities.
With sponsorship from Air Vanuatu and support from the Vanuatu Ministry of Education, the first large deployment was made possible. 18 devices were personally donated and installed across Sanma Province schools.
Devices installed in Luganville and Port Olry on Espiritu Santo island are currently providing free knowledge to around 600 children in those communities.
New Zealand is now a primary deployment focus. Many rural schools have no coverage, very limited internet access, or face expensive connectivity — the same problem we've always set out to solve.
We operate wherever access to education is limited by geography, infrastructure, or cost. Our current and planned regions span the Pacific Islands and rural New Zealand.
New Zealand is our primary placement area for new deployments, where rural schools face expensive or non-existent internet access.
Regions & deployments
Inspired by World Possible · Operating since 2018 · In partnership with Vanuatu Ministry of Education
The Kumu Project is driven by passionate individuals who believe that access to education is a fundamental right — not a privilege determined by postcode or geography.
Mauro is the founder of the Kumu Project — a personal philanthropic initiative dedicated to bringing free educational resources to remote communities. In 2018, with sponsorship from Air Vanuatu and the Vanuatu Ministry of Education, he travelled to Vanuatu's Sanma Province and personally installed 18 RACHEL-PI devices across remote schools, now serving 7,000+ students and 440+ teachers.
A passionate advocate for educational equity across Australasia and the Pacific, Mauro continues to drive new deployments in Vanuatu and rural New Zealand.
The Kumu Project is built on collaboration. We're always looking for passionate individuals and organisations who share our vision of educational equity.
Whether you're an educator, logistics specialist, technologist, fundraiser, or simply someone who believes every child deserves access to knowledge — there's a place for you here.
Sponsors, NGO partners, and government agencies are equally welcome to reach out.
Every contribution — whether money, time, or a shared post — brings us closer to a world where every child has free access to quality education.
Each RACHEL-PI costs approximately $75–$150 USD. One donation can bring education to dozens of students for years — with zero running cost.
Donate nowLogistics and travel are the biggest barriers to reaching new communities. Sponsor a trip — as Air Vanuatu did in 2018 — and open doors for hundreds of children.
Become a sponsorKnow a rural school in New Zealand or the Pacific that needs better access to educational resources? Let us know — we want to hear from you.
Nominate a schoolShare the Kumu Project story with your network, school, workplace, or community. Awareness creates partnerships — and partnerships change lives.
Follow on FacebookWhether you're a donor, sponsor, educator, school principal, or a curious supporter — we'd love to hear from you.
For partnership proposals, sponsorship enquiries, speaking requests, or media — reach out to Mauro directly via LinkedIn.
The Kumu Project was founded by Mauro Depaoli as a personal philanthropic initiative.