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Laptops for needy children
Here’s a deal for you: Buy a cheap laptop and do a good thing.
The North American launch of the One Laptop Per Child Project started on Nov. 12 and ends Nov. 26.
For $399, you get your own bright-green-and-white laptop with Linux operating system. And you give one to a needy kid in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Rwanda. Half that cost is tax-deductible.
The unit weighs about 3 pounds, operates from a rubberized keyboard and kid-friendly desktop icons. It brags about a battery life that four times longer than a typical laptop. Those of us who have laptops would want to check that claim before believing it.
It has extras like a built-in camera, memory-card slots, pop-up antennas for wireless Internet and three USB ports. You don’t need to be from a developing country to want a bunch of those.
I know you’ve got a lot of spending to do in the next month but doesn’t this sound like a good way to start?
Comments
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By nurse&mother
November 20, 2007 8:22 PM | Link to this
Does this mean that you must spend $800 ($399 for yourself and $399 for a needy child) or does the $399 get both?
By nurse&mother
November 20, 2007 8:25 PM | Link to this
I guess if I would read the link I would know :-)
By nooffese
November 20, 2007 10:00 PM | Link to this
I am sorry, but it’s prepostrous. How about food, shelter, books, clothing and education FIRST?????
I can barely afford a laptop for my own children, let alone someone else’s.
The whole thing is ridiculous.
By Noelle
November 20, 2007 10:07 PM | Link to this
I went to the link but the order says Quantity 1 instead of 2 - I don’t know about this. I wouldn’t doing it if I could assure I get 2 for the price of $399. I agree that they could use that money for food and clothing.
By Ken Roberts
November 20, 2007 11:33 PM | Link to this
I think its a waste of money. The only good thing about this project is that it may eventually cheapen the cost of low-end laptops. But overall, a starving kid doesn’t need a computer. Especially if he’s unable to get internet access.. it would just be worthless.
By juan
November 20, 2007 11:55 PM | Link to this
the $400 cost pays for 1 laptop for you and 1 laptop for a “needy kid”. that comes out to about $200 per laptop, which is about twice the originally targeted price. it will be very interesting to see if these laptops make any difference at all in “needy kid“‘s lives.
By Chief Wiggum
November 21, 2007 12:17 AM | Link to this
I think that things like running water and proper sanitation are more important than laptops. I read the link, they talk about these kids often being “off the electrical grid”. Well, how about spending this money to provide an electrical grid. I bet that would benefit a lot more people.
By Katie
November 21, 2007 6:28 AM | Link to this
How about helping people in THIS country. I’m so sick of helping people in other countries. We have starving and poor children right here. We should help those on our own soil first!!!!
By E. Ambo
November 21, 2007 4:38 PM | Link to this
First thing first: we should focus on the most immediate needs for the kids in the poor countries. A laptop is a good idea, but not the immediate need. Example I wanted to help kids in Haiti; I have 185 kids that I am helping, they’re very poor. I want to build an orientation center to provide them w/basic education and prep them for a better future. They need at least one hot meal daily and school supplies. Give them a drop of water! A water reservoir to provide the whole area with some drinking water. I need: Building materials for the school, commitment of food and school supplies for them kids; 4”PVC pipes etc… for the reservoir, new and or used genarators, water pumps 2.5 hp or higher and volunteers who would like to go to Haiti. You and me can make their dreams come true. I urge everyone who might know someone that could support (REMEMBER THEM FOUNDATION)”Nothing is too small.” I can be reach at 4355 Cobb PKWY Suite J504 Atlanta, GA 30339-3896 404-748-4383 e-mail: oambo@aol.com
Please, remember them!
Thank you
By Disgusted Reader
November 27, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this
We bought laptops for poor Nigerian children and then we went to see how they were using them and found them watching porn.
Poor children don’t necessarily need a laptop. What they need is an education and sitting in front of a computer doing dumb things is not an education.
Buy them good books, paper, pencils and pay for good teachers. Better idea. Computers are only so helpful in this world and in many ways are really non-helpful in a lot of ways, specifically educating people. The Internet is a big garbage dump of bits and bytes, most illiterates will fail at trying to decipher what they are seeing is either true or false.
Yes, I’ve worked in computers for 46 years and have seen some real debacles.
By sofiaa
November 28, 2007 12:06 AM | Link to this
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By J
November 29, 2007 10:24 PM | Link to this
Agreed! Why aren’t we focusing on our own kids here in the U.S.A!!!