Too few working machines
Limited finances mean most learners never get to touch and feel a real device, let alone practise a concept on one themselves.
Kampala, Uganda · ICT education hardware
A whole computer lab, built around one computer.
ChungaBox is Thinlab’s control hub for shared-computer classrooms — one CPU, one projector, and a set of wireless keyboard-and-mouse pairs so every student gets hands-on turns, without a room full of machines to buy and maintain.
1 → ∞
one CPU drives every seat in the room
85%+lower cost than a traditional lab1
1CPU serves a full classroom
2devices on mains power, not a roomful
700,000+
young Ugandans enter the labour market every year with too few digital-skills opportunities waiting for them2
2
devices plug into mains power — the CPU and ChungaBox — instead of a roomful of monitors
85%+
reduction in acquisition, operating and maintenance cost versus a traditional lab or N-Computing setup1
1
shared screen keeps every student’s attention on the lesson, not their own monitor
The problem
Computer labs in low-cost schools were never built to scale.
Donated, obsolete hardware
Computers arrive second-hand and already old. Breakdowns are frequent, routine maintenance is rare, and the repairs that do happen are often done by unqualified hands.
An instructor who never sits down
In a traditional lab, the teacher walks the room constantly to reach every workstation — wasting time, wearing them out, and compromising the quality of what gets taught.
Attention split across the room
Every workstation runs its own screen, every screen pulls its own power, and every student faces their own monitor instead of the lesson at the front.
The Thinlab concept
One CPU. One ChungaBox. One projector. A full working lab.
ChungaBox turns a single computer into a shared, hands-on workstation. Wireless keyboard-and-mouse pairs let students act on the same screen, one at a time, while an LCD projector keeps the whole class looking at one point. The instructor grants and revokes each pair’s access with a single click — no scrambling for a free keyboard, no one left watching over a shoulder.
Low acquisition cost
Portable, fast to set up
Low power draw
Collaborative by design
Higher retention & engagement
Fewer breakdowns to manage
Ready to bring ChungaBox into your classroom?
Schools, ICT training centres and digital-skilling projects can become Thinlab members — with access to asset financing and our technician network.
Become a memberThe product
ChungaBox
One control hub. A full room of learners.
How the lab environment works
Three components. One collaborative room.
One shared display
The projector puts every student’s eyes on the same crisp, room-sized image instead of a private monitor — the single biggest fix for a distracted class.
One CPU, fully shared
A single computer runs the lesson. There is no fleet of workstations to individually configure, patch, or repair when something breaks.
ChungaBox arbitrates access
Every student gets a wireless keyboard-and-mouse pair wired into ChungaBox. The instructor discretely activates and deactivates each pair with a click, so control passes around the room without anyone touching the host machine.
Inside ChungaBox
A purpose-built, port-managed hub
ChungaBox is built around a multi-port USB hub architecture with its own microcontroller, so the instructor — not the operating system — decides which keyboard and mouse pair is live at any moment.
14
downstream USB ports across two 7-port hub controllers
1
upstream USB link to the host CPU, plus a dedicated DC power input
≤3
ports the firmware keeps active at once, so power draw stays predictable
I²C
/ serial programming interface for host-side control and diagnostics
Simplified from Thinlab’s ChungaBox engineering drawings — port count and control logic reflect the current design.
The comparison
Thinlab vs. popular lab setups
| Metric | Thinlab (ChungaBox) | N-Computing | Traditional lab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computers required | One | Varies | Varies |
| Portable | Yes | No | No |
| Easy to set up & configure | Yes | No | Yes |
| Instructor movement | Infrequent | Very frequent | Very frequent |
| Acquisition cost | Very low | High | Very high |
| Power consumed | Very low | High | Very high |
| Maintenance cost | Very low | Low | Very high |
| Collaborative learning | Natural | Limited | Limited |
| Student retention | Very high | Moderate | Moderate |
| Student engagement | Very high | Moderate | Moderate |
What it unlocks
Key differentiators
No frequent instructor movement
Strictly one computer per class
Portable, easy installation
Less power consumption
Equal device-access opportunity
Collaborative learning environment
Continuous learner engagement
Unidirectional learner attention
See ChungaBox running in your own lab.
We’ll walk your team through setup, financing and technician support.
Become a memberWhy Thinlab
Narrowing the digital divide, one classroom at a time.
Our motivation
According to DFID Uganda’s 2018 country profile, over 700,000 young people enter Uganda’s labour market every year, with too few opportunities waiting for them. At the same time, the International Telecommunication Union projects tens of millions of new jobs worldwide that will call for advanced digital skills in the years ahead.
ICT can level the playing field for marginalised individuals and communities — but only for those who can cross the technology divide. For everyone else, it becomes one more way to fall further behind. Like the Government of Uganda, we believe computer education in schools is where that foundation gets built. The problem is cost: quality, equitable computer labs are simply too expensive for most schools to acquire, run and maintain.
Thinlab & ChungaBox
Thinlab champions a blend of low- and high-tech approaches to sustainable computer education. ChungaBox, our brainchild product, makes a low-cost lab setup possible — giving every student equitable, hands-on access inside one collaborative classroom.
Where we focus
Who ChungaBox serves
Our lead market is urban and semi-urban private secondary schools, with room to grow across the rest of Uganda’s ICT-education landscape.
- 1Private secondary schools
Our primary target — fast to adopt cost-saving solutions that protect quality while protecting margins.
- 2Private primary schools
Early digital literacy for younger learners, without a full lab budget.
- 3Public secondary schools
Government-run schools working within tighter procurement budgets.
- 4Higher institutions
Colleges and vocational institutes running practical ICT modules.
- 5Business & ICT training
Independent trainers and centres delivering short, practical courses.
How membership works
Three steps to a well-stocked lab
Become a member
Any school, ICT training centre or digital-skilling project can register with Thinlab.
Access our services
Registered members can apply for asset financing and reach our network of professional computer technicians.
Grow your lab
Acquire a well-stocked computer lab and keep it running sustainably, year after year.
Asset financing for computer devices
Professional computer technicians
Hire-purchase support
The people
Meet the team
Pinyi Othieno Eria
Team Lead
Computer Engineer
Francis Muwanguzi
Tech Lead
Engineering & product architecture
Charles Kalungi
Developer
Firmware & software
Join us in narrowing the divide.
Whether you run a school, a training centre or want to partner with Thinlab — we’d like to hear from you.
Become a memberGet started
Become a member
Tell us about your school, training centre or programme, and we’ll be in touch about setup, financing and technician support.
Members & enquiries