Future of IT in Africa

Future of IT in Africa

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  • Elisabeth Hartlieb
    Elisabeth Hartlieb
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    2B1 “The Children’s Machine”

    Hello to everybody!

    I´m interested in the various opinions concerning the Childrens Maschine (previously known as the $100 Laptop) and it´s implementation in Nigeria.

    Is the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) trade organization on the right way? What do you think?

    Best wishes,
    Elisabeth Hartlieb
    • 18 Oct 2006, 12:40 pm
  • Walter Schwabe
    Walter Schwabe
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    Re: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    Elisabeth,

    I believe in the direction of this project, it's forced a shift in thinking and approach...the idea of a cheap laptop is not a new one. However, the idea now has momentum and the next step will be to create the appropriate content which my client is doing...feel free to visit my profile for more information on this...

    Cheers,
    Walter
    • 29 Jan 2007, 8:30 pm
  • Joseph Abandoh-Sam
    Joseph Abandoh-Sam    Group moderator
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    Re^2: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    I'm new to the "Children's Machine" idea. So I will like to know:

    1. What are the goals or objectives of this project?
    2. What are the milestone of this project?
    3. What are the implementation processes and
    4. How is this project going to be monitored?
    • 29 Jan 2007, 11:02 pm
  • Elisabeth Hartlieb
    Elisabeth Hartlieb
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    Re^3: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    All of yours are very good and justified questions. I will try to answer them, but before, please let me say that I´m an “amateur” to this subject, the information I have is from OLPC´s website http://www.laptop.org and the media. I do hope that I´m reproducing everything the correct way… otherwise please feel free to correct me.

    1. What are the goals or objectives of this project?
    One Laptop per Child has dedicated itself to provide each child in developing countries with a laptop. Whereas a laptop is not simply regarded as laptop, but as a potential learning tool which enables “learning learning”. A proper education should give the children in developing countries the change for a better future. The purpose of the XO machine (the name has changed from ´$100 laptop`, to ´2B1`, to ´B2` till ´XO`) is to transform the learning quality as well as the learning content of children in less developed countries. This could result in leapfrogging decades of development parts the participating countries. One Laptop per Child has very ambitious goals, but of course it’s not possible putting them into key figures, any attempt to do so would be simply unserious. Only time will tell the exact outcomes and long time results of the XO project.

    2. What are the milestone of this project?
    There have been many past milestones like pilot projects, the production of the prototype, cooperation with the UNDP, having some countries commitment to the project, like Nigeria, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, Libya, Pakistan, Uruguay… the future milestones, like any kind of measurement to say when the project was an success and when a failure do not exist as far as I know.


    3. What are the implementation processes
    It should work like this: The governments of the emerging countries should pay in advance for the production of the laptops and they will be in charge of distributing the XO to the children. The laptop computers should be integrated into the educational system of developing countries, they will get distributed to the children on a one to one basis. The government has the possibility to engage in active knowledge exchange with other countries that have already committed to the project or are already in the trial phase of the prototype. Once the XO machines are delivered to the schools, a specialist from OLPC will go and visit the school for a one month period in order to help pupils and teachers to get used to the new learning tool. Apart from this ´starting help`, as for the majority of the children the 100$ Laptop will be the first computer ever to see and use, OLPC put emphasis on developing a user interface that would be “intuitive for children” .

    4. How is this project going to be monitored?
    Well, the probable most important question remains unanswered…
    • 30 Jan 2007, 2:42 pm
  • Paul Vasey
    Paul Vasey    Group moderator
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    Re^4: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    Sorry to dampen the theory of the laptop. In theory it is a fantastic idea but in reality it will not work for a number of reasons.

    Firstly if you look at past appeals to help Africa - the western world has never listened to the locals

    We will bring in tractors and you will be able to sort your land out -it will be far more efficient..... in reality diesel was not affordable, as neither were spare parts, not everyone had access to it and not many peoiple knew how to maintain it and therefore there are many lying in heaps of rust. - waste of money!

    The cattke are scrawny -what we will do is bring in bigger cows which yield more meat - after 6 months the cows are as scrawny as the others due to there not being enough grass to feed them.

    If you are to truly make a difference -stop with the laptops and build schools where every child can go and learn the basics -and sponsor children to go to universities, colleges and secondary schools. Provide the erquipment and make sure it gets to those it is intended to reach.

    Concentrate on getting literacy and numeracy up across the board. Then the rest will fall into place.

    If it cannot be monitored you might aswell throw your money in the bin or better still give it to me!!!
    • 30 Jan 2007, 8:20 pm
  • Elisabeth Hartlieb
    Elisabeth Hartlieb
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    Re^5: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    There is no doubt that there have been help projects that went wrong in the past. But I do not see how it’s possible to say that because of THAT the XO project will do no good either.

    The main intention of the laptop is to EDUCATE children. In many developing countries the average student will visit school just till 5th grade, than he or she needs to start working to support their families. With the help of the XO laptop the kids could still pursue their education while working (although this of course is still not an optimal situation, but at least it would be an alternative).

    Besides, with the laptop, emerging nations would finally get a means of communication to the rest of the world as internet access would be possible for many more people (yes, I know that the internet is very expensive and usually bad developed in developing countries – but the laptop is considering this by building mesh networks, so many people can actually connect to each other and share information, while just one of them needs to be connected with the internet backbone). So, people in developing countries could finally tell the industrialised word that their tractors or cattle are not needed. And maybe, most important they could warn other tribes or folks of following the “good” advise of the western world.

    I do believe that there is a huge amount of knowledge in the so called developing countries. Probably not all of it can be exported or applied in a different context, but still, it would be enough if that valuable knowledge is shared with the neighbouring school or village just a couple of miles away… Local cooperatives could share some examples from real life with each other. Where by using a special technique or doing things in a certain way, they where improving their living standard. I.e. they could share traditional healing methods, or they could give advice on doing the best crop rotation a.s.o.

    There have been some good experiences with projects like the XO one. Just have a look at an article written by Cecchini and Scott: “Can ICT applications contribute to poverty reduction? Lessons from rural India” There answer is: YES! Poverty can be reduced by improving poor people’s access to education, health, governmental and financial services. ICT helped small farmers in India by connecting them to the market. The farmers knew the current prices and for the reseller it was not possible to deploy them anymore…

    I don´t assume that the XO laptop will be the cure of the worlds poverty problems. But I do believe that the XO laptop can be a chance for many or at least some people.

    Sincerly,
    Elisabeth
    • 30 Jan 2007, 9:54 pm
  • Paul Vasey
    Paul Vasey    Group moderator
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    Re^6: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    A very good, passionate and in depth reply. I do see what you are trying to do and maybe it will be possible. However, for the time i have spent in Africa there are many problems that need rectifying first -such as the disparity between wealth and the lack of education.

    In order to use a laptop effectively -you need to be literate and these are the problems which need addressing first.

    Electricity is another option, it is not a constant supply and the water supply is not always clean. The schools need to have serious funding put into them and that means teachers, writing equipment and even classroooms.

    Work forward rather than backward, lay the foundations and then put the cherry on the cake.

    The issue is that once these laptops have been issued are they going to be replaced once they go missing and will they be repaired if they are broken and will they get into the right hands in the first place.
    • 30 Jan 2007, 11:41 pm
  • Joseph Abandoh-Sam
    Joseph Abandoh-Sam    Group moderator
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    Re^7: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    I was planning on working on a similar line but since you're initiating something i guess it doesn't hurt to bring up an idea I have been tossing about in my head.

    Instead of giving the laptops to the kids how about setting up e-learning centers for them. After school centers where by they can be educated on technology, its uses, and how studying them can benefit them, etc.

    I think that will be a better alternative. About African governments I beg to differ. Every government in Africa seeks to improve the well being of its people, but there are individuals higher up who because of their incompetence and greed, discredit the whole government. I hope you explore the e-learning centers those else setup a good monitoring system.

    If you can't monitor, then its gonna be a problem.
    • 05 Feb 2007, 11:14 pm
  • Paul Vasey
    Paul Vasey    Group moderator
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    Re^8: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    Hi Joseph

    I think you have made some valid comments and your idea of an E learning centre does have merit. This would be easily monitored and also a better use of resources. The more educated who are literate and do go to school would have an extra avenue to go to and seek help and learning. These people would also be recognised as talent that can be harnessed through sponsorship to university and as potential recruits in IT. However there is still the underlying problem of lack of education. You could maybe go as far as combining the laptops with the E learning centre and make it a mobile learning unit or a bolt on for the schools in that area. The money saved on this could then be put into building schools or training teachers to go into rural areas.

    With regards to the government issue and trying to be pc - I think you have summised the situation perfectly as

    Joseph Abandoh-Sam wrote:

    "Every government in Africa seeks to improve the well
    being of its people, but there are individuals higher up who because of their incompetence and greed, discredit the whole government."
    The more people who are computer literate, the more business there will be in Africa. The more literate and numeric people are, the more potential resources (employees and entrepreneurs) and customers there are in Africa. It is a chicken and the egg scenario and you can't have one without the other.
    This post was modified on 07 Feb 2007 at 03:33 pm.
    • 07 Feb 2007, 3:32 pm
  • Elisabeth Hartlieb
    Elisabeth Hartlieb
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    Re^9: 2B1 “The Children’s Machine”
    Dear all,

    no doubt, E-learning centres are certainly a very good thing. But my question is: why do they not exist yet?

    My theory is that E-learning centres are usually initiated on a local level and thus the main problem is financing them. If the major of a village has to decide between setting up an E-learning centre, or financing other important projects (like irrigation systems, hospitals…), he will go for the alternatives. I guess those other projects will find more acceptance by the community and will be easier to justify… (with good reason!)

    But the laptop project is financed on a national level, the top down approach should exactly avoid such previously named trade offs.

    Besides ownership plays an important role. Studies have shown that personal belongings are much better maintained and taken care of compared to community property.

    Anyway, I´m further interested in your idea and comments and I do hope that my rather strong opinion about the XO-machines is not discouraging you to further express your point of view.


    Sincerely,

    Elisabeth
    • 07 Feb 2007, 6:20 pm