And I got a message from OLPC asking me to share this video by a girl in South Africa, Zimi:
I have to confess that I haven't played around with my xo laptop lately, although when I first got it, I would take it to cafes in my hometown and I got a lot of people asking about the laptop and it gave me a chance to talk about the OLPC program and to direct people to the website (click here).
And really, when you think about this concept--that this organization is making laptops for children--making them affordable and kid user-friendly and more importantly, making them in a way that people living in developing countries can actually use the laptop--providing solar power, hand cranks, and community support--all to allow kids to learn, to educate themselves, to have access to global technology, that is an astounding feat.
Which is why I believe the OLPC gets a T.G.I.F. award--because it is a great and impossible feat to have the imagination to give kids laptop computers in rural areas in developing countries.
Please consider going to Amazon.com and making a contribution. I know times are tight, but if you decide not to eat out once a month or you give up your starbucks coffee once a week, you can afford to change someone's life. And how often can you make that claim?
3 comments:
This is a great program I had never heard about it before. Computers again are one of the great equalizers.
I am taking the liberty of responding to your promotion of this wonderful laptop initiative to plug another educational program benefiting underprivileged youth.
The East Atlanta Kids Club (www.eastatlantakids.org) is a nonprofit after-school program providing free tutoring, mentoring and vocational education to low-income youth. Right now the club is in the running for a $10,000 prize in a national "idea" contest sponsored by ideablob.com.
We're seeking votes for our idea to provide free tutoring in math and reading to disadvantaged kids who really need the help. If you'd like to review our idea and vote, please visit http://ideablob.com/3722.
The contest ends this Sun, Nov. 30, at 11:59 pm.
Thanks for considering it!
DJ--I couldn't agree with you more--computer literacy is just as important as plain old literacy in today's day and age, and one can help lead to the other.
Eastatljill, thanks for promoting your cause--anything that helps kids, esp. in low income areas is a great thing!
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