Laptops for Africa
My sister and I (hopefully) are going to Africa this summer on a mission. Part of the mission is AIDS awareness, the other part is teaching the school over there about computers. We are in need of 4 laptops to take over and leave at the school. We will be teaching them how to use (right from the start like how to turn on, use mouse, etc). I am not sure yet of the min. specs. /system requirements that are needed. Nothing to fancy: basic word processing/document and spreadsheet creation, etc.
Do you, or anyone that you know, have any old laptops that you would love to get off your hands (or out of your garage)? The oranization will provide donation receipts. I have not heard back yet on if we have any payment ability.
I believe we would need these in the Seattle area in June to get them set up to go. I will be going to Seattle in June - so I can carry them with me.
Thanks!
Jeanna
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Which country are you going to visit?
Not to be argumentative, but I never understood this.
There are plenty of underpriveleged children in Detroit, let alone Michigan, let alone the US, plus, once these kids in Africa get a laptops, what can they do with them? Since I am sure broadband deployment is scarce to say the least.
Just curious...
Do you know of a charity here, in the Detroit area, that needs desktops?
I'm bidding on a house to stage. No one has lived in the house for 3 years and there are at least 4 computers in the house.
Any suggestions?
Blight Busters can use old desktop computers - they teach Detroit kids how to rebuild and maintain computers as well as providing a safe place where kids can come after school to study, do homework, learn advanced programs/programming and, of course, games. Here is the Blight Busters web address: http://www.blightbusters.org/ (I could not find the page about computers but I was just in that room last week.).
Jeanna
I spent some time in Kenya back in 2005. I was amazed by the amount of people who had wireless phones. The LAN lines are very expensive in Nairobi but the cell phone plans are very cheap. It was amazing that even in the markets and while i traveled everyone seemed to have a cell phone and their kids went to a private school yet, they lived in the slums. It was very odd and hard to imagine since it is so backwards from here. As far as broadband, I believe that the wireless internet accessis definately more common than traditional broadband. I was able to check my email daily and in most parts of Kenya with the exception of the Masi Mara. Good Luck with the Laptops! Don't drink the water on your trip! :) Enjoy, my trip to Kenya was a trip of a lifetime! I continue to treasure the time i spent there!
Which country are you going to? Is it French or English?
Kodera, Kenya is the location for this mission. We also have connections in other sections of North Kenya.
Kiswahili is the national language; few read write both English and French. I am not sure who originally "settled" the area. I believe the English (as with most of the North area). French was a bit more south. I can find out more if you are interested.
I'd like to have a 3-way phone call with the person I told you about.