Give a laptop change the world.

Fiend-Foe

One laptop per child.

I know education in devoloping countries is important. And the work that Camara do recycling computers is an excellent idea.

But a dream of "one laptop per child", is it really a priority? Shouldn't we wait until they all have safe drinking water and medical care before they get laptops.

I know I managed to do just fine without a computer or a laptop, I did need food and water however.

And what if they get onto bebo, we'll have a whole continent spkin lk dis

xOxSinéadxOx

nobody in this country uses laptops in school! them ****ing elitists out in the third world :mad:

BeerWolf

There's also the matter of them not having electricity.... o.O

Fiend-Foe

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

nobody in this country uses laptops in school! them ****ing elitists out in the third world :mad:

They always have to get one up on us don't they?

cormie

Even sending computers to classrooms I'd disagree with somewhat. Health and happiness are the most important requirements and if the children who will be getting laptops have these basic requirements, then move on to those who don't, instead of harvesting our ideals unto these cultures. Has technology really benefited us? I don't think so, I'd say it's made the overall health and happiness status on a per individual basis, both mental and physical, much worse.

Even "educating them" to learn English, why not let these children embrace and build upon their own cultures and lifestyles without having to strive to a standard. Health, civic and sex education is beneficial within each owns society for sure, but as the wise tribal chief in Out of Africa said "white man learn to read and write, and what good has it done for them" or something like that.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I'd like everyone reading this thread on computers and children to play this in the background :P

:P


.

tallaght01

Giving computers to kids int he thrid world will probably do no harm, but it's pretty useless.

The money could be used for so many other worthwhile projects. You can bet your ass that there's a local village nearby that's riddled with HIV, and there's no money for the drugs that will keep the sufferers alive.

"salvation fantasists" is the term given to people like this, who think they're saving the world by giving a load of kids wireless-enabled laptops in rural Sudan.

galwayrush

It'll make a lot of poorer kids realise what they don't have once they discover the internet.Boards membership will increase dramatically.:eek:

waraf

Fiend-Foe wrote: »

One laptop per child.

I know education in devoloping countries is important. And the work that Camara do recycling computers is an excellent idea.

But a dream of "one laptop per child", is it really a priority? Shouldn't we wait until they all have safe drinking water and medical care before they get laptops.

you have answered your own question.

Fiend-Foe

waraf wrote: »

you have answered your own question.

Eh, no I haven't.

Since when does education = laptop??

I was educated without one. So were most people. I never questioned the need for education, I was asking is providing laptops a priority.

K4t

They're bad enough already without getting aroused by hard-core porn.

luckylucky

I disagee with the negativity to this. First of all, you are making a helluva assumption that all of Africa is struggling against disease, famine, war etc. Those problems are much worse there than other parts of the world, no doubt about that, but it's not the whole picture. I've never been to Africa, but from people who have lived there I've heard that's not the 'real' Africa.

Technology does bring with it its own problems, but overall I believe it to be a good thing. Same as education, despite the old phrase 'ignorance is bliss', studies have shown educated people are happier. The Nigerian economy has been growing rapidly over the last few years, the rise in mobile phone use in the country coincides with this growth, whether that just shows Nigeria is becoming a more sophisticated country or the use of mobile phones has made Nigeria more sophisticated is debatable I suppose.

Anyway I see it as a good thing, obviously the priority is food and medicine but no harm in giving laptops either.

regob

i dont see why a child needs a laptop i didnt start using a laptop till i was in university

luckylucky

regob wrote: »

i dont see why a child needs a laptop i didnt start using a laptop till i was in university

needs and mightn't be a bad idea are two different things.

tallaght01

luckylucky wrote: »

I disagee with the negativity to this. First of all, you are making a helluva assumption that all of Africa is struggling against disease, famine, war etc. Those problems are much worse there than other parts of the world, no doubt about that, but it's not the whole picture. I've never been to Africa, but from people who have lived there I've heard that's not the 'real' Africa.

Technology does bring with it its own problems, but overall I believe it to be a good thing. Same as education, despite the old phrase 'ignorance is bliss', studies have shown educated people are happier. The Nigerian economy has been growing rapidly over the last few years, the rise in mobile phone use in the country coincides with this growth, whether that just shows Nigeria is becoming a more sophisticated country or the use of mobile phones has made Nigeria more sophisticated is debatable I suppose.

Anyway I see it as a good thing, obviously the priority is food and medicine but no harm in giving laptops either.

I don't know of any part of Africa where kids would be receiving help from charities, where there isn't a significant HIV/malaria/TB problem. Nigeria certainly has significant problems with both communicable diseases, aswell as basic educational infrastructure deficiencies.

Like I said, no real harm (except in opportunity cost, perhaps) in giving them laptops. But, I think we're fooling ourselves if we think that giving computers to poor kids is really achieving anything sustainable and useful in the long term.

chin_grin

Since this campaign I'm getting a hell of a lot more of those "I need money" from x@wartornland.af emails. Weird.

Mr.Lizard

Laptops for every kid in Africa? No thanks. I already waste enough time deleting 419 emails from my inbox as it is.

gurramok

How about donating some laptops to the poor in Ireland who can't even afford a computer, internet access or a laptop in the first place?

ejmaztec

Ship them a load of old Dells, that'll be the last time they ask us for anything.

AlmightyCushion

gurramok wrote: »

How about donating some laptops to the poor in Ireland who can't even afford a computer, internet access or a laptop in the first place?

Screw that, just give them all to me.

Catari Jaguar

Um.. Do they have electricity?

I assume there is no Internet access out there so... What are they going to do with them? MS Paint and Solitaire?

They're just going to sell them tbh, they need the price of the laptop.. you know for food and such.

Saruman

I am very suspicious of most charities, sure they do some good work but most of our money goes to providing jobs, salary etc to the people who work at the charity. They do not work for free.

That camara crowd will take your old PC but they will charge you money for the privilege.

The only useful laptops to African kids (outside the cities) are those wind up ones that are not on sale to the general public.

phasers

eh if anybody does feel the urge to donate a laptop to the poor I'm interested. I'm using the internet in a LIBRARY atm, oh the humiliation and mental anguish... and I can't look at the real hardcore stuff

towel401

yay more e-waste and those laptops will just end up being used to go on Facebook. the last thing the world needs is more facebookies

toiletduck

No way in hell I'd send anything with a harddrive I've used in it to the third world...

Fiend-Foe

Saruman wrote: »

I am very suspicious of most charities, sure they do some good work but most of our money goes to providing jobs, salary etc to the people who work at the charity. They do not work for free.

That camara crowd will take your old PC but they will charge you money for the privilege.

The only useful laptops to African kids (outside the cities) are those wind up ones that are not on sale to the general public.

Can you back this up? Anyone?

I went to an induction day to volunteer repairing computers, still haven't gone back to start yet because I need some steel caps to be onsite. But from what I saw pretty much everyone was volunteering. Maybe someone can shed some light??

tallaght01

Saruman wrote: »

I am very suspicious of most charities, sure they do some good work but most of our money goes to providing jobs, salary etc to the people who work at the charity. They do not work for free.

That camara crowd will take your old PC but they will charge you money for the privilege.

The only useful laptops to African kids (outside the cities) are those wind up ones that are not on sale to the general public.

I would imagine most people are aware that charities have to pay some salaries. They very often pay below market rates, which I disagree with. I think senior positions in charities should be extremely well paid, to attract the top people. It makes better economic sense in the long run.

But the charity in question are talking about giving groups of students 10k dollars to go out to africa for rollout programs for this cause, which seems odd.

ShooterSF

cormie wrote: »

Even sending computers to classrooms I'd disagree with somewhat. Health and happiness are the most important requirements and if the children who will be getting laptops have these basic requirements, then move on to those who don't, instead of harvesting our ideals unto these cultures. Has technology really benefited us? I don't think so, I'd say it's made the overall health and happiness status on a per individual basis, both mental and physical, much worse.

Even "educating them" to learn English, why not let these children embrace and build upon their own cultures and lifestyles without having to strive to a standard. Health, civic and sex education is beneficial within each owns society for sure, but as the wise tribal chief in Out of Africa said "white man learn to read and write, and what good has it done for them" or something like that.

Do people ask these questions cause they honestly do not know the answer or because they don't like the answer? (I am aware the same can be said of what I just asked )
Educating people in english benefits those who educate them when the country develops enough to offer benefits to the educators. Educate them on how to build parts and speak english side by side and you potentially have cheap labour without the language barrier.

Saruman

Fiend-Foe wrote: »

Can you back this up? Anyone?

Back it up? It is common knowledge Look at all those concern and other charity reps on the streets or calling to your door. They get paid for everyone they sign up.

I do IT work for a number of charities and everyone there earns a salary, it is not a "claim" that needs to be backed up it is just how things are and as a result I feel charities exist to pay their employees as much as do good work.

Oh and what you are talking about is where the charity does get volunteers in. I am not talking about the volunteers, I am talking about the well paid workers who run the charity.

K4t

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

Laptops for every kid in Africa? No thanks. I already waste enough time deleting 419 emails from my inbox as it is.

Hopefully Nigeria won't be included in the scheme.

Fiend-Foe

Saruman wrote: »

I am talking about the well paid workers who run the charity.

I suppose someone has to get paid to run the show.

I guess we need them to get it done, once somebody benefits at the end.

There's no other way for us to get food/medicine/laptops? to devoloping countries.

My gf used to be a chugger (I know... it was only for a while) but she got crazy money if she signed up a few people over her target.

tallaght01

Saruman wrote: »

Back it up? It is common knowledge Look at all those concern and other charity reps on the streets or calling to your door. They get paid for everyone they sign up.

I do IT work for a number of charities and everyone there earns a salary, it is not a "claim" that needs to be backed up it is just how things are and as a result I feel charities exist to pay their employees as much as do good work.

Oh and what you are talking about is where the charity does get volunteers in. I am not talking about the volunteers, I am talking about the well paid workers who run the charity.

All charities produce a financial statement each year. Nearly all of them are available online. For example, GOAL:

http://www.goal.ie/AR07.pdf

They list all expenditure, including salaries.

I'll say it again, charities DO NOT claim their employees work for free, and I would imagine most people don't think they do.

Sofiztikated

Do they really need laptops? Seriously? Why not just a ****ty old Pentium Desktop that someone has lying around? I mean, its still a computer, and when they eventually get their €1.5 million that the nigerian prince has rested in the account of the westerner back, they can buy a new one.

Not all of Africa is the disease ridden ****ty part, but wouldn't that be the bit that charity would be helping? What would be the point in helping the already well off African prince's children that need new laptops?

My view TODAY (which changes on a daily basis) is:

Fcuk 'em, let them sort their own **** out.
Look after number one first.

Capt'n Midnight

tallaght01 wrote:

But the charity in question are talking about giving groups of students 10k dollars to go out to africa for rollout programs for this cause, which seems odd.

10K that's a lot more than the dole in the states.

If you go as a volunteer with camara you have to raise €2,500 for the month as well as time in the workshop and http://www.dtalk.ie/

tallaght01

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

10K that's a lot more than the dole in the states.

If you go as a volunteer with camara you have to raise €2,500 for the month as well as time in the workshop and http://www.dtalk.ie/

It's not a salary, though. It's to pay for the project. It's such a huge amount of money, when malaria nets cost 1 dollar, and a years supply of HIV meds costs as little as 100 dollars.

Capt'n Midnight

cormie wrote:

Even "educating them" to learn English, why not let these children embrace and build upon their own cultures and lifestyles without having to strive to a standard. Health, civic and sex education is beneficial within each owns society for sure, but as the wise tribal chief in Out of Africa said "white man learn to read and write, and what good has it done for them" or something like that.

Mass media / entertainment is the main languages and is killing off smaller ones.
but computers can be in local languages
https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu
http://wikipedia.org/ lots of languages here http://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%ADomhleathanach
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=904

IIRC it was going to cost just €10K to translate openoffice into Sotho

Saruman

tallaght01 wrote: »

All charities produce a financial statement each year. Nearly all of them are available online. For example, GOAL:

http://www.goal.ie/AR07.pdf

They list all expenditure, including salaries.

I'll say it again, charities DO NOT claim their employees work for free, and I would imagine most people don't think they do.

Just curious about something, the goal one you posted has no mention of salary so is it called something else?

tallaght01

I found it by typing "salaries" into the search thingey.

Jigsaw

Original poster is quite correct. What do third world children want with a bloody laptop? Some of the are walking miles a day for water to drink and wait for a UNHCR plane to drop a few bags of grain into their field. They'll be mad to get a laptop I'd say.