Published: March 09, 2010
One Laptop per Child Provides Children of Afghanistan Access to a Modern Education
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The
One Laptop per Child Foundation (OLPC), a nonprofit organization
whose mission is to help provide every child in the world access to a
modern education, has just delivered 774 XO laptop computers to students
and teachers of the Zarghona Ana middle school in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
To date, OLPC has distributed more than 3,700 XOs in Afghanistan and
more than 1.4 million units worldwide.
Under the leadership of Afghanistan's Ministry of Education, the
Kandahar project brings together a unique partnership with One Laptop
per Child; USAID/Afghanistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development
(ASMED); the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology;
Roshan, Afghanistan's leading telecommunications provider; and
PAIWASTOON, a local private IT company.
"The main goal of this project is to improve the teaching and learning
environment in the school while giving students the opportunity to
further their education experience at home using the XO laptops," said
Farooq Wardak, Minister of Education of Afghanistan. "Children having
access to this type of tool can further their education and allow them
to be actively engaged in their own study. They learn, share, create and
have the opportunity to collaborate with their fellow students. They
become connected to each other, to the world, and to a brighter future."
Commenting on the project, Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of
One Laptop per Child, said, "The XO laptops will empower a new
generation of Afghan citizens to connect with the world, think
critically and challenge indoctrinations of intolerance. This is an
important development for both the people of Afghanistan and for the
world."
Already translated into Dari and Pashto, the XO laptops will provide
access to a digital library with thousands of pages of content. Students
will also benefit from having access to 150 educational mini games and
interactive versions of curriculum content providing guidance and
feedback on self-study exercises. Because the children will be able to
bring the laptops home, girls, in particular, will be able to learn in
the safety of their own homes and without fear of reprisal for going to
school.
The XO laptop, specially designed for rugged environments, is
well-suited to the Afghan environment. The XO uses three times less
electricity than other laptops and is built in a sealed dust-free system.
About the One Laptop per Child Foundation
The One Laptop per Child Foundation (OLPC at http://www.laptop.org)
is a non-profit organization created by Nicholas Negroponte and others
from the MIT Media Lab to design, manufacture and distribute laptop
computers that are inexpensive enough to provide every child in the
world access to knowledge and modern forms of education.
About the Afghanistan Ministry of Education and Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology
The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology of Afghanistan are the government institutions tasked with
improving education and the information technology sectors. They work to
collectively embed communication technology and standardize technology
in the education sectors and establish platforms to transform society
and government institutions to an information-based society and
governance.
One Laptop per Child
Jackie Lustig, 781-487-4664
Kyle
Austin, 781-487-4603
press@racepointgroup.com
or
Afghan
Ministry of Education Information Communication
Mohamed Salim
Hayran
Mobile: (0093) (0) 700399039, 077877146
Salim.hayran@moe.gov.af
salim_hayran@yahoo.co.uk
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