Kipi Robot Education Project with English Subtitles

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Let me introduce you to Big Five’s partnership with Walter Velasquez, an ingenious Peruvian teacher known for creating Kipi, the world’s first Quechua-speaking robot. Walter is a computer and design technician, who received undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry and a postgraduate degree in educational sciences. Primarily though, he is a teacher with a genuine vocation for providing high-quality inclusive education to kids in his beloved Huancavelica.
Due to the onset of the pandemic in 2020, schools in Peru were closed and education was provided through the internet and TV. However, in impoverished regions like Huancavelica with a lack of internet access, education is still a challenge and virtual education is unavailable. Despite these difficult circumstances, Walter got the idea to build a Quechua-speaking robot with recycled materials and solar energy. This robot has been previously programmed with the school curricula so Walter could raise the attention of the kids that were curious to learn and interact with this robot in regions where kids are still not able to visit a school. Kipi is a robot that can project videos through its eyes, interact with the kids with questions and answers, and soon will be able to use artificial intelligence and teach in over 40 local dialects.
His idea was so authentic that he was recognized as “promoter of Sciences in Peru” by the National Council of Science and Technology and awarded by the Peruvian Parliament. Above all else, what encourages him to keep working hard on improving the robots and reaching more communities is the joy of the kids while they learn and interact with Kipi. Currently, Walter has received the support of a private company to build 7 additional robots so he could bring education to more kids in rural areas. However, there is still a long way to go as half of the kids he teaches do not have internet service at home and still cannot receive a proper education. Due to the area’s geography, Walter travels by foot to each remote house in the mountains of Huancavelica with Kipi carried on the back of a llama or a donkey.
Huancavelica is one of the poorest regions of the country, which has been hardest hit by domestic terrorism and is one of the main cocaine-producing regions today. Young children, devoid of access to education and basic quality of life, have left no choice except to join in this illegal trade.
With your journey, the Spirit of Big Five Foundation is investing in and supporting Walter’s education project, supporting a better quality of life and opportunities for hundreds of kids, all with a way to fight against narcoterrorism through accessible interactive education.