Lubuto Launches Zambian Language Reading Project with eIFL.net Funding

Submitted by Jane Meyers on 20 July, 2010 - 01:09

The Lubuto Library Project was one of 12 groups chosen from several hundred applicants worldwide to be awarded a grant from the eIFL.net Public Library Innovation Initiative, for which eifl.net received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to encourage innovation with information technology in public libraries.  Lubuto's project addresses the critical need that the educational system cannot meet for a means to teach all Zambian children to read in their original language.  Lu

Have an extra One Laptop Per Child laptop you are not using? Donate it to Haiti!

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 27 January, 2010 - 13:03

I got an interesting email just now from Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the One Laptop Per Child project. I've pasted it below - if you have any extra XO laptops lying around and no longer need them, you may want to donate them to be used in child education projects in Haiti.

Personally, I am a little ambivalent about the offer - in it he seems to reinforce the idea that the laptops are not as useful as we all had hoped but that they are still useful for use by children in poor countries.

One Laptop Per Child program starts again this fall - Give One, DON'T Get One

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 3 November, 2009 - 14:01

My neighbors and friends on Bainbridge Island remember my active campaigning in December 2007 to get as many people as possible to order a One Laptop Per Child device for their children. Now it's being started up again at http://amazon.com/olpc but so far you can only buy them for other children in poor countries - not yet for our own children.

Is One Laptop Per Child beginning to do things right?

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 29 December, 2008 - 19:45

I have been a vocal critic of the One Laptop Per Child program over the years, and still am - but am beginning to see that things are turning around for the project and that they are starting to do many things right. I see the "give one get one year two" scheme has ended as of December 26th and it's no longer possible to get the laptops - several of my own neighbors participated and the process was quite smooth. Hopefully this will be extended so the laptops contine to be available worldwide to those who need them, or that it is repeated again next fall. I don't know personally how the laptops are being introduced through projects in Africa and would be glad to hear about it through the Kabissa community. In the meantime, below is a link to a useful Negroponte talk on TED about OLPC in Colombia: 

OLPCIn a special report from the field, TED follows Nicholas Negroponte to Colombia as he delivers laptops to schoolkids in territory once controlled by guerrillas. His partner? Colombia's Defense Department, who see One Laptop per Child as an investment in regional stability. (Want to help out? OLPC's Give One Get One program runs through Dec. 26.) Watch this talk >>

Interesting times ahead for Education, ICT policymakers and OSS advocates in developing countries

Submitted by ohenenana bonsu kyeretwie on 7 June, 2008 - 19:17

The announcement by PC manufacturer Acer Computers a couple of weeks ago thatit was going to focus on linux-based PCs, laptops and notebooks presents interesting opportunities for ICT policymakers and users alike in developing countries. Given the low markups that prevail in the PC business, it makes a lot of diffrerence to manufacturers whether they install MS Windows for a charge of up to 100 $ or linux, for close to nothing. Dell has shown the path with Ubuntu on its some of its laptop and desktop models, HP has followed with Novell Suse.

Can we rescue OLPC from Windows? Richard Stallman makes a pitch for freedom

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 1 May, 2008 - 21:49
With gratitude to bytesforall, I learned today about this very meaningful appeal to keep the One Laptop Per Child project on course as a force for freedom in the world, by Richard Stallman, described on Wikipedia as "an American software freedom activist, hacker, and software developer." I've been following this issue personally, and while I'm not quite as activist a promoter of open source software as RMS, I was crushed when I learned a few weeks ago about Negroponte's plans for Windows on the device.

Sad news for FOSS? One Laptop Per Child may switch from Linux to Windows XP

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 24 April, 2008 - 08:23

Via muti.co.za, I just came across this disheartening news report in InfoWorld about a new direction that the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme seems to be heading. The picture (thank you nirak @ flickr) expresses my fears but if you have been following the OLPC story over the last several years you will want to also read this article.

The folks at olpcnews.com have also been reporting on the issue and tend to have more (and more current) information than anyone else. Check out this olpcnews.com article about the speech by OLPC founder Negroponte about OLPC and XP, in which he is quoted as saying:

"Eventually Windows might be the sole operating system, and Sugar would be educational software running on top of it."

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