OLPCorps Matisa Trust Namibia

A proposal for 100 XO's for Lutheran church vulnerable hostel children in south and central-western parts of Namibia. Focusing on the learners through matron support by attempting to answer the question "How would the Matron's classroom change if laptops were introduced?". Local NGO Matisa Trust has teamed up with private company and the church and invited Unam computer science students to drive project for course fieldwork assignments.

Proposal

Background of Lutheran Hostels

This project is benefiting 6-12 year old vulnerable children and orphans in 19 hostels of the Lutheran church. It covers 7 regions of Karas, Hardap, Khomas, Omaheke, Kunene and Otjozondjupa, Erongo of Namibia. The children belong to poor farm-workers and marginalized communities who work in remote areas. The Lutheran church has enrolled children in urban hostels, from where they return home to rural families excited about what they have learned during the hostel semester.

How we will work with the children

Matisa Trust (NGO) initiates and AIMS (Africa Institutional Management Services (Pty) Ltd administers the project with DHK (Desk for hostels and kindergartens of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia) driven by UNAM (University of Namibia students). Matisa Trust identifies children from the 19 hostels in groups of small and large clusters. Small clusters shall be assigned 4 laptops and large clusters 6 laptops. Namibia has a trimester system from mid-January to May, second semester end of August and the third term ends in December. The Matrons with Educators are in charge of the hostels. Children shall be grouped in hostel clusters of Grade 1 classes aged 6; Grade 2 aged 7; Grade 3 aged 8; Grade 4 aged 9; Grade 5 aged 10 years; Grade 6 aged 11 and Grade 7 aged 12 years.

The Matron and Educators shall set up age-specific activities in each hostel classroom. Grades 1, 2 and 3 shall have morning sessions while Grades 4, 5, 6 and 7 shall have afternoon sessions. The XOs shall be given to the children in small teams, who can own it overnight in rotation and use it for any tasks given or Internet. The local team shall monitor each grade and age specific lesson per hostel and exchange experiences with Unam students. Other undergraduate or postgraduate students can volunteer at hostels to track progress and monitor the impact of the technology and interaction with the curriculum. Our Team of 9 (Leader and 8 members from the initiators) shall oversee implementation. Team Leader shall personally oversee one hostel, while 8 other members shall each be responsible for monitoring progress of two hostels each on project-based learning. The children will be using the laptop for their class-based project activities. Financial need: The team shall need U$ 30,000 for implementation and to send two undergraduate students to Kigali, Rwanda. Additional resources shall be raised during 2009 and for future sustainability.

Local partners which will be involved with the project

• Mr Rheinhardt Xoagub, the Managing Director of AIMS (Pty) Ltd shall be the local partners for technical and educational support. They have in-house to instal the server and further back-up work.
• Ms Helena David, a lecturer of the computer science department, University of Namibia shall be the driving force to coordinate the involvement of the university students, in terms of student fieldwork experimentation in 2009 and future.
• Mr ≠Khikhoe //Gowaseb, Advisor, Matisa Trust.

The laptops will be stored in the strong room of AIMS (Pty) Ltd in Windhoek, until they are dispatched later. The hostels are 1. Maltahohe (established 1949); 2. Otjimbingwe (1951); 3. Bethanien (1952); 4. Aroab (1962); 5. Grunau (1962); 6. Gochas (1964); 7. Fransfontein (1964); 8. Gieon (1965); 9. Okomhabe (1965); 10. Stampriet (1965); 11. Berseba (1966); 12. Kamanjab (1966); 13. Otjiwarongo (1966); 14. Karasburg ( 1967); 15. Leonardville (1967); 16. Aranos (1968); 17. Noordoewer (1968); 18. Karibib (1971); and 19. Dordabis (1973).

Ten Week Plan

The Team of 9 shall spend the first week conducting meetings in Windhoek and at the 19 hostels for program introduction.

Sustainability

The purpose of the project is to encourage community members to be exposed to new technology and for the hostel programme to prepare children for a future knowledge-based society in terms of Vision 2030 of the Namibian Government. Once the first 100 XOs succeed, additional funds shall be raised by the Project Team to ensure that each child owns a laptop and the programme expands in future.

Contact:

• OLPCorps AIMS-Matisa Trust-Unam, Namibia
• Telefax (+264) 061-235598
• matisa.trust@gmail.com
• www.octopuslogisticscc.com/matisatrust/index.html
• www.aims.com.na