OLPCorps UniversityofKinshasa1 DemocraticRepublicofCongo
1. INTRODUCTION
We would like to work in the eastern of the D.R. CONGO where about three millions of people died during the armed conflict and children were used as soldiers. .http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2772575.stm http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR62/034/2003 International NGOs or organizations are led by English speakers that are why most of these organizations don’t come to the Congo because it is a French speaking country. Thus he learnt English by himself and then applied to The International Development Design Summit 2007 http://www.iddsummit.org/participants/2007/bios/ and the Millenium Campus Conference 2008 in the Massachusetts Institute of technology CA USA. He applied also to the Education without Borders 2007 and 2009 in the United Arab Emirates. www.ewb2007.com or http://kam6761.wordpress.com/about/ When he won USD10000 through the western union first data fund for Africahttp://www.aaionline.org/Programs/FirstDataWesternUnionScholarship.aspx He started the leadership school in the Congo which helped people learn English, how to use computers and leadership skills.. It was hard for me to learn all these things by myself. That’s what motivates us to apply through the OLPCorps Africa and help children from the congo become leaders and benefit from opportunities the laptops can offer.
2. TEAM
The team is a solid one because we are all from the Congo. We all know our country and inhabitants very well. We also speak English and specially French which is the language of instruction in the Congo and also local languages Lingala, Swahili…this will help us work easily with children without any barrier. 1. Eddy MIntela 4th year undergraduate computer Science ( male) 2. Emy Mbadu 4th year undergraduate health Sciences ( female) 3. Patrick Lokoli 3rd year undergraduate Electrical Engineering ( Male) 4. Emmanuel Diasso 3rd year undergraduate Social Science ( Male)
3. DETAILS OF THE PROJECT
We will work in the city of Goma After teaching children how to use the laptops, we would like to help them learn by themselves English, how to use the Internet and leadership skills. So Patrick and I have skills in programming and we will program in java or LISP free software, children will find pre installed and will use to learn by themselves not only English and how to use the internet but also how to be involved. (We mean how to apply for conferences, how to start not-for-profit organizations, how to write proposals …) I’m also working with other students from the USA in a web 2.0 project (www.congolop.com) that will help people from all over the world to share the issues and solutions. We will help children from the Congo to express their issues and than be in contact with other people from around the globe. The level of teaching in the Congo isn’t of good quality so we will design a data base of free open course ware children will find in the laptops As an alumnus of the IDDS we will work with The African Internet Technology Initiative (http://www.digitaldivide.net/articles/view.php?ArticleID=58 ) and IBURST AFRICA to give them wireless internet connection.
4. PROJECT FOLLOW UP
We will partner with other The USAID, the Rotary Club; CIDA…also The social fund for the republic for finding grants to follow up the project. I have also applied for the IDDS 2009 where I will meet mentors, members of international organizations. So I will work in partnership with these people to follow up our project.
5. PROJECT IMPACT AND OUT COMES
- children will not only learn how to use computers or the Internet but also leadership skills that will help them become leaders of a country which is missing good leaders in all the fields - they will be able to have access to open course ware and learn the English language which a barrier for French speakers to apply to international events, scholarship programs which usually require the proficiency in English - Children of the eastern of the Congo, who have been victims of the most murderer armed conflict after the World War 2, will use laptops to forget all the atrocities they have seen.