Low-cost laptops have now reached children in 31 developing nations, including Rwanda.
The One Laptop Per Child program (OLPC) launched in Rwanda in October with the aim of providing computer access to the country’s 2.3 million schoolchildren. President Paul Kagame has supported the program and efforts to expand schooling and educational resources in the country.
Worldfocus correspondent Martin Seemungal travels to Rwamagana, Rwanda — once a site of the country’s 1994 genocide, now the site of technological transformation.
Below, read what bloggers are saying about the laptop initiative from Rwanda to Peru.
Blogger “Brian,” an OLPC intern, posts his account of bringing laptops to children in Kigali, Rwanda.
Blogger “DSD” — another OLPC intern — writes from Ethiopia, describing how the laptops excite children in the country’s bare schools.
From Peru, blogger “Ivan Krstić” returns to the town of Arahuay one year after OLPC brought laptops to children there, writing that despite his skepticism, the program has brought about real change.
However, some bloggers express continued doubts about the OLPC program’s effectiveness.
The “Hyper Edge” blog argues that money could be better spent on food and infrastructure projects.
The “Thoughts on Freedom” blog writes from Australia that the program is flawed, as it does not take into account long-term maintenance costs and more pressing needs in rural communities.
The price of the so-called “$100 laptop” has in fact grown to over $188 in past years, though OLPC plans to introduce a newly-designed laptop at a cheaper price by 2010.
05/16/2009 :: 05:09:39 PM
Sven AERTS Says:
Why isn’t the olpc – rwanda url mentioned more clearly: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Rwanda
… bad Journalism?