OLPCorps MIT,HARVARD & LEHIGH -KENYA: Difference between revisions

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== Overview ==
== Team ==


<blockquote>
This project is a collective effort of all members of KENSAP, an organization composed of Kenyan students in various elite Universities across US. This year, the group will be represented by a team of three: Charles Kiplagat (MIT; junior in Chemical Engineering), Abel Boreto (Harvard; sophomore in Economics) and Evans Kosgei (Lehigh; sophomore in Computer Science).
Team: Amos Kitur (Harvard), Charles Kiplagat (MIT) and Evans Kosgei (Lehigh)<br />
Location: Kibarani Boarding Primary School, Kilifi, Kenya<br />
Partners: Kibarani Primary School, CFSK, Kemri-Kilifi Wellcome Trust, iEARN Kenya and KenSAP<br />
</blockquote>


== Team ==
Charles is currently the web-editor for DSpace Foundation and project designer for TLO. He has humble background knowledge and skills in computers.


This team is a collaboration of all KenSAP members, a non-profit organization composed of Kenyan students in various top universities across U.S. The group will be represented by a team of three: Charles Kiplagat (MIT; junior in Chemical Engineering), Kipyegon Kitur (Harvard; senior in Chemistry) and Evans Kosgei (Lehigh; sophomore in Computer Science).
Abel is articulate with computers and has some background in JAVA programming.


Visit [[Team page]] to learn more about each member.
Evans is currently working for Lehigh’s Media Center and he has a core background in wide-range of programming and excellent knowledge on computers in general.


We all have past experiences with children. Charles taught his local primary school, Kapletingi, for two years after high school while Abel and Evans taught XXX and Chebororwa primary schools respectively for a year each.


== Location ==
== Location ==
We plan to deploy the laptops to Kibarani Primary School in Kilifi[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilifi_District], Kenya from June to mid-August when the school will be in session. Kilifi, which is located along the Kenyan coast, is not only among the poorest districts in Kenya but also has high malnutrition cases. Being one of the most popular tourist destinations along the Kenyan coast, Kilifi is rife with child prostitutes and primary school dropouts. Most of the families in Kilifi depend on relief food and handouts from tourists for their livelihood.

<br />
We plan to deploy laptops in Kibarani Primary School, Kilifi, Kenya from mid June to mid August, 2009 when the kids will be on session. Kilifi, ranked among the poorest Districts in Kenya, is located along the Kenyan coast. Beside abject poverty, Kilifi is also known for high cases of malnutrition. Like most tourism neighborhood, Kilifi has high cases of both reported prostitution and primary school dropout rates. In fact, most families in Kilifi depend on relief food and tourists for their livelihood
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="-3.632665" lon="39.862518" type="map" zoom="10" width="300" height="300" overview="yes" controls="small">

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilifi

-3.615072, 39.85445, Kilifi
We shall distribute laptops to two selected classes with most pupils within the age-bracket of 6-12 years . The head-teacher of Kibarani has agreed to setup an extra class-session exclusive for XO laptop training and related activities. From our past experience with kids of the said age-bracket, we agreed to design simple learning instructions that will appear on posters which will be conveniently tucked on class-room walls. We plan to split 9-week project into three phases. In the first phase, which shall last approximately 4 weeks, we shall introduce kids into XO laptops and the idea of computers in general while training the teacher that the school has already chosen. That will be followed three weeks of systematic approach on simple programming tools for kids. This phase will also involve active participation of the trained teacher . The last two weeks will involve creative sessions in which pupils will either use a tool(s) in XO laptop for any relevant task like writing composition, drawing etc or competing among themselves.
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="-3.639518" lon="39.528809" type="map" zoom="8" width="400" overview="yes" controls="small">
</googlemap>
</googlemap>
<br />


== Sustenance ==
== Target Group & Approach ==






We shall distribute laptops to pupils in grade five which is composed of two streams with 45 pupils each. The head-teacher has already agreed to setup an extra hour-session each weekday exclusive for training and related activities. We will split the 9-week period into three phases. <br /><br />
As aforementioned, Kibarani primary school will be our local partner and they’ve agreed to sustain the project after we leave by:
i. Integrating the cost of sustaining the project in their school budget.
ii. Repair and maintain the laptops for children in conjunction with a local IT expert.


First Phase, approximately 4 weeks:<br />
Moses Mosobo , of KEMRI-Kilifi and Wellcome Trust, will be our point person. He with the teachers and parents of the participating children will see to it that a committee is setup to oversee the matters of sustenance of the project- expansion, repairs and electricity
• Meet the local administrators, teachers and parents of Kibarani.<br />
• Introduce children to basic and simple programs in XO laptops <br />
• Train teacher(s). <br />


Second Phase, approximately 3 weeks:<br />
Due to close proximity of Kilifi to the coastal harbor, communication and handling of the package would be easy. The head-teacher has confirmed availability of a safe and expansive storage unit that is owned by the school. The school already has a hired security guard who protects its facilities both day and night.
• Introduce children to simple programming tools with active participation of the trained teachers. <br />
• Children are guided to collect simple data about their cultural heritage, food crops grown or available within their vicinity and, if possible, list potential local business opportunities.<br /><br />


Last Phase, approximately 2 weeks:<br />
• Children proceed to create a library for the data collected.<br />
• Convene a closing ceremony in which the two streams will complete as well as present some of their creative works to teachers, parents and other students.<br /><br />


There will be creative sessions throughout the period in which pupils will use the tools and programs in the XO laptops for relevant tasks like writing short-stories(WRITE), drawing(TURTLE ART), designing(ETOY, PAINT), programming(PIPPY). They will also do simple translations of study materials from (WIKIBROWSE) into Swahili and other local languages as well as record story telling sessions, local music and dances and other local cultural events. Recorded material can be archived as part of a long-term project to preserve local cultural practices.


== Impact ==
Our approach encompasses the idea that children are agents of change in society since they are future leaders. Using skills described above, children will create both cultural and nutritional libraries. With these computer skills, the children will themselves be instrumental in solving the community problems such as child prostitution, poverty, and malnutrition by creating awareness both locally and online. Naturally the parents and other members of the society will be excited to know about XO laptops. These children will also teach their parents, siblings as well as the other community members not only how to use the laptops but also disseminate cultural, agricultural, nutritional and socials facts they have already documented.


== Sustainability & Financial Support ==


As aforementioned, Kibarani primary school will be our local partner. The executive committee of the Parents Teachers Association of Kibarani Primary School met on 03/16/2009 and agreed to support and sustain the OLPC project. They agreed to incorporate the cost of sustaining the project into their school budget. The PTA also agreed to form project sub-committee to oversee and design further sustainability measures. Teachers are also excited and willing to integrate laptops into their classroom environment. Moses Mosobo, a member of KEMRI-Kilifi and Wellcome Trust, will be our point person for the project. Moses with the subcommittee will ensure sustenance of the project- expansion, repairs and electricity. Alex Kibweza, a local IT technician and technical staff of Computers for Schools Kenya have agreed to help with the project during and after deployment. Besides, each KenSAP member has agreed to enlist financial support from their respective institutions to sustain and expand the project in Kilifi. KenSAP Foundation has also declared financial support for the project upon deployment.
== Approach ==




[[Potential Financial Sources]]


== Partners and NGOs ==
Our approach will encompass the idea that children are agents of change in the society since they are the future leaders. This project will enable children gunner knowledge in computer technical know-how while they are still young and will have both better opportunities of employment and good leadership skills. As such, we shall have pulled them from the poverty into self-sustenance. We shall not only design learning programs and tools that will enable kids to learn their curriculum materials better also learn about suggested solutions to problems that there community faces daily such as poverty, malnutrition and social vices like prostitutions . Naturally parents and other members of the society will be excited to know about XO laptops and with guided instructions, the children can disseminate information that they gather from us to the entire community thus acting as agents of change. At some point, close to the end of the 9weeks, top students will be given a chance to present before parents and fellow students on topics pertinent to society using their XO laptops.


We shall be working closely with the following Organization during the entire 9 weeks and post-deployment period.
As mentioned above, the school has agreed to incorporate the cost sustaining the project into their school budget. Besides, each KENSAP member has agreed to enlist for financial support from their respective institutions for both sustaining and expanding the project in Kilifi District .
<br />
The three of us speak fluent Swahili (besides English), Kilifi’s local language.
1. [[CFSK]]<br />
2. [[Kemri-Kilifi Wellcome Trust]]<br />
3. [[KenSAP]]<br />
4. [[iEARN Kenya]]

Latest revision as of 23:02, 11 April 2009

Overview

Team: Amos Kitur (Harvard), Charles Kiplagat (MIT) and Evans Kosgei (Lehigh)
Location: Kibarani Boarding Primary School, Kilifi, Kenya
Partners: Kibarani Primary School, CFSK, Kemri-Kilifi Wellcome Trust, iEARN Kenya and KenSAP

Team

This team is a collaboration of all KenSAP members, a non-profit organization composed of Kenyan students in various top universities across U.S. The group will be represented by a team of three: Charles Kiplagat (MIT; junior in Chemical Engineering), Kipyegon Kitur (Harvard; senior in Chemistry) and Evans Kosgei (Lehigh; sophomore in Computer Science).

Visit Team page to learn more about each member.

Location

We plan to deploy the laptops to Kibarani Primary School in Kilifi[1], Kenya from June to mid-August when the school will be in session. Kilifi, which is located along the Kenyan coast, is not only among the poorest districts in Kenya but also has high malnutrition cases. Being one of the most popular tourist destinations along the Kenyan coast, Kilifi is rife with child prostitutes and primary school dropouts. Most of the families in Kilifi depend on relief food and handouts from tourists for their livelihood.
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="-3.632665" lon="39.862518" type="map" zoom="10" width="300" height="300" overview="yes" controls="small"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilifi -3.615072, 39.85445, Kilifi </googlemap>

Target Group & Approach

We shall distribute laptops to pupils in grade five which is composed of two streams with 45 pupils each. The head-teacher has already agreed to setup an extra hour-session each weekday exclusive for training and related activities. We will split the 9-week period into three phases.

First Phase, approximately 4 weeks:
• Meet the local administrators, teachers and parents of Kibarani.
• Introduce children to basic and simple programs in XO laptops
• Train teacher(s).

Second Phase, approximately 3 weeks:
• Introduce children to simple programming tools with active participation of the trained teachers.
• Children are guided to collect simple data about their cultural heritage, food crops grown or available within their vicinity and, if possible, list potential local business opportunities.

Last Phase, approximately 2 weeks:
• Children proceed to create a library for the data collected.
• Convene a closing ceremony in which the two streams will complete as well as present some of their creative works to teachers, parents and other students.

There will be creative sessions throughout the period in which pupils will use the tools and programs in the XO laptops for relevant tasks like writing short-stories(WRITE), drawing(TURTLE ART), designing(ETOY, PAINT), programming(PIPPY). They will also do simple translations of study materials from (WIKIBROWSE) into Swahili and other local languages as well as record story telling sessions, local music and dances and other local cultural events. Recorded material can be archived as part of a long-term project to preserve local cultural practices.

Impact

Our approach encompasses the idea that children are agents of change in society since they are future leaders. Using skills described above, children will create both cultural and nutritional libraries. With these computer skills, the children will themselves be instrumental in solving the community problems such as child prostitution, poverty, and malnutrition by creating awareness both locally and online. Naturally the parents and other members of the society will be excited to know about XO laptops. These children will also teach their parents, siblings as well as the other community members not only how to use the laptops but also disseminate cultural, agricultural, nutritional and socials facts they have already documented.

Sustainability & Financial Support

As aforementioned, Kibarani primary school will be our local partner. The executive committee of the Parents Teachers Association of Kibarani Primary School met on 03/16/2009 and agreed to support and sustain the OLPC project. They agreed to incorporate the cost of sustaining the project into their school budget. The PTA also agreed to form project sub-committee to oversee and design further sustainability measures. Teachers are also excited and willing to integrate laptops into their classroom environment. Moses Mosobo, a member of KEMRI-Kilifi and Wellcome Trust, will be our point person for the project. Moses with the subcommittee will ensure sustenance of the project- expansion, repairs and electricity. Alex Kibweza, a local IT technician and technical staff of Computers for Schools Kenya have agreed to help with the project during and after deployment. Besides, each KenSAP member has agreed to enlist financial support from their respective institutions to sustain and expand the project in Kilifi. KenSAP Foundation has also declared financial support for the project upon deployment.


Potential Financial Sources

Partners and NGOs

We shall be working closely with the following Organization during the entire 9 weeks and post-deployment period.
1. CFSK
2. Kemri-Kilifi Wellcome Trust
3. KenSAP
4. iEARN Kenya