Islamic Development Bank Funds One Laptop Per Child in Cameroon

[Cristian_25H]

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide every child in the world access to new channels of learning, sharing and self-expression, announced today that the Islamic Development Bank has fully funded the initial distribution of 5,000 XO laptops to primary school children in the West African nation of Cameroon. The project will initially span 51 schools in six regions; planning is underway to extend the deployment across the entire country.

The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral financing institution whose purpose is to foster the economic development and social progress of its 56 member countries - of which Cameroon is one. The Cameroon project represents the first time that the Islamic Development has financed an OLPC deployment.





This deployment establishes Cameroon as OLPC's hub in francophone West Africa. A team from Cameroon's Ministry of Education has provided training assistance to an OLPC project in Mali. Other countries in the region are expected to launch XO deployments in 2012.

"We are delighted to be working with the Islamic Development Bank on the financing of projects that support our mutual objective of fostering economic development and social progress," said Rodrigo Arboleda, Chairman and CEO of the One Laptop per Child Association. "We are seeing tremendous interest in OLPC throughout Africa and look forward to working with both public and private sector partners in a number of countries to launch, expand and support other initiatives in the months ahead."

Cameroon will be the first country in Africa to receive XO 1.75 laptops, which go into production in March 2012. The XO 1.75 uses the Marvell ARM-based ARMADA PXA618 SOC processor, which compared to the earlier XO 1.5, maintains performance while using only half the power. The XO 1.75 features a sunlight-readable screen and all the other features and design characteristics of the two previous versions of the XO laptop.

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[Hayder_Master]

nice

 

[trickson]

I have a better Idea, Give them BOOKS! Stop thinking learning is done from a computer screen!
Stop teaching people the only way to learn is through the internet!

 

[Mr McC]

It is telling that in today's world, perhaps the best contribution a religion can make, any religion, is in the form of cold, hard cash; however, be that as it may, this is a very humane gesture.

 

[bear jesus]

The greater availability of more information to more people is a beautiful thing, it should be pretty obvious what an educated human can accomplish by now.

I have a better Idea, Give them BOOKS! Stop thinking learning is done from a computer screen!
Stop teaching people the only way to learn is through the internet!

Could you suggest a list of books that contain all the information on the internet and where to buy them for the same cost per child as these laptops?

 

[Fourstaff]

I have a better Idea, Give them BOOKS! Stop thinking learning is done from a computer screen!
Stop teaching people the only way to learn is through the internet!

Books they have, connection to the world through internet they don't. Also, in this information driven world, it would be very hard for them to find a decent desk job (after the agriculture gets automated) if they cannot use computers.

 

[trickson]

Books they have, connection to the world through internet they don't. Also, in this information driven world, it would be very hard for them to find a decent desk job (after the agriculture gets automated) if they cannot use computers.

Yeah an information driven world with dipshit people living on it!

 

[Fourstaff]

Yeah an information driven world with dipshit people living on it!

I am starting to see you as one of those dipshit people, sorry

The computer (and internet) is a wonderful tool which you can do just about anything with it, and right now I cannot think of a well paying job which doesn't involve the use of a computer at all, except maybe plumbers but even then you might need to contact/look for suppliers.

 

[happita]

It is telling that in today's world, perhaps the best contribution a religion can make, any religion, is in the form of cold, hard cash; however, be that as it may, this is a very humane gesture.

+1 to that.

Whatever is given, I'm sure it's from the heart first. Doesn't matter what group of people sponsors OLPC to give out x number of laptops, it's the fact that they are GIVING and not asking for anything in return, only that the children learn something so they can become better educated for the future.

 

[Disparia]

+1 to that.

Whatever is given, I'm sure it's from the heart first. Doesn't matter what group of people sponsors OLPC to give out x number of laptops, it's the fact that they are GIVING and not asking for anything in return, only that the children learn something so they can become better educated for the future.

Hope so! It would be great to finally find a real case of charity and not some plot to use the gathered information and photos of African children for some maniacal means.

 

[trickson]

Books make us smarter tech has made us dumber. The collapse of society will be because of the dumbing down that is currently taking place! Who needs to learn how to spell? The computer does it for you now! Who needs to learn how to read? We have an application for that to! It is a good thing for the disadvantaged people to have this sure, But remember one thing I grew up in a time when computers in school were nothing more than the typewriter!

 

[erocker]

Well.. These computers are basically books + a typewriter in one package. Wasting time on the internet looking at kittehs doing funny things may be making people dumber. Plus, we aren't raping forests as much anymore for book paper.

 

[Arctucas]

Do they even have reliable electricity to charge the batteries?

Paper is organic, and as such, is returned to the environment.

PCs are made from heavy metals and petrochemical thermoplastics.

I wonder which is more environmentally friendly?

 

[Tatty_Two]

Whilst this is a very generous and nice idea, I can't help thinking that the money would be better spent going towards the digging of wells for fresh water, irrigation, crops, medical supplies and schools and hospitals, that way they stay alive long enough to actually get some education.... whatever form of education it's a good step, but there is huge poverty throughout, although not on the scale of some of the other poorer African nations.

 

[micropage7]

Whilst this is a very generous and nice idea, I can't help thinking that the money would be better spent going towards the digging of wells for fresh water, irrigation, crops, medical supplies and schools and hospitals, that way they stay alive long enough to actually get some education.... whatever form of education it's a good step, but there is huge poverty throughout, although not on the scale of some of the other poorer African nations.

yeah, there many things that need to solve on that, but education is a good start no matter where you are.
with good education they would have better chance to make things better, OLPC is good as start point when most related to computer, so OLPC makes them learn better with introducing computer at early age

 

[mauriek]

yeah, there many things that need to solve on that, but education is a good start no matter where you are.
with good education they would have better chance to make things better, OLPC is good as start point when most related to computer, so OLPC makes them learn better with introducing computer at early age

agree..in my line of work, i have seen many examples where bad quality education or low education actually ruin everything good..

we donate them seed, fertilizer, medical supplies, they sell it for small amount of money and wait for next year donation, we gave them cheap electricity to preserve their product, they use it to all night party. Education is the only viable choice..

i'm only afraid many of their poor parents will actually sell their kid new PC..

 

[syeef]

whatever is given, i'm sure it's from the heart first. Doesn't matter what group of people sponsors olpc to give out x number of laptops, it's the fact that they are giving and not asking for anything in return, only that the children learn something so they can become better educated for the future.

+1

 

[Aquinus]

This is a very old topic. I've heard about this years ago. It's the laptop you crank with a handle to charge it, right?

 

[Fourstaff]

This is a very old topic. I've heard about this years ago. It's the laptop you crank with a handle to charge it, right?

The project started quite some time ago. You can crank the handle for juice if you don't get access to any power outlet, a feature which I wish would be more widely available when my phone runs out of juice :/

 

[sy5tem]

Books make us smarter tech has made us dumber. The collapse of society will be because of the dumbing down that is currently taking place! Who needs to learn how to spell? The computer does it for you now! Who needs to learn how to read? We have an application for that to! It is a good thing for the disadvantaged people to have this sure, But remember one thing I grew up in a time when computers in school were nothing more than the typewriter!

computer is a tool, multi usage tools, those kids have more way then 1 to learn now . its nice.
someone who know how to spell is not brighter for it.

tools are tools, depends on how you use those tools.