OLPCorps BRAC University Cameroon

Team

OLPCorps BRAC University Cameroon Team
Name	Major	Email
MD.Sabbir Ahmed	Computer Science and Engineering	msabbir2001@gmail.com
Mustafa Zaman	Computer Science and Engineering	Mustafa.RZaman@gmail.com

MD.Sabbir Ahmed: Fresh Graduate from Computer Science and Engineering Department of BRAC University, Bangladesh. Now preparing for his Masters Program.

Mustafa Zaman: Is a senior student. Continuing his Undergrad on Computer Science and Engineering at BRAC University, Bangladesh.

As a team they both have better level of understanding. They have successfully made documentary movie, organize programs and events as a team. They also do voluntary work. They are both strong supporter/contributer of Open Source movement. Besides they are involve in education movement for the poorer children in Bangladesh. Most importantly they have good leadership skills.

Why we are doing this:
Distance between two point of the world is decreasing in every day. In the same time difference between poor country and rich country increasing. There are more then twenty thousands people dying for hunger. A big donation or help might change the scenario of a country economy for a time being. But to change the country structure it need to make strong of a country base. Today who are children are the leader of tomorrow. If they can get the proper education for children then it is possible those new kid can able to contribute for there society for there country and for the world. We believe our knowledge, ideas, thoughts, time can make a contribution for the better world where every people live happily and no one die for hunger.

Support Letters

Letter of Support From TechCeFaCos File:Acknowledgement and Collaboration Letter to the Divisional Delegate for Basic Education Bui.pdf
Recommendation Letter from Ministry of Basic Education Cameroon. File:Recommendation Letter from Ministry of Basic Education Cameroon.pdf

Objectives of the Project

The OLPC team from BRAC University Bangladesh will deploy the OLPCorps Africa program in two Schools in Kumbo, Cameroon. Our Project has the following visions:

Using laptops for learning general curriculum through open source multi-media CDs and Internet resources
Developing mentality of the students to use their laptop as expression of their innovation and creativity
Using various software available in OLPC for the following:
- Learning about art and drawing and painting
- Learning about basics of music and composing music of their own
Developing some basic skills in using computers such as email, Internet, open office etc.
Developing local sustainability of the project

Partner Institution

We will implement the project with the help of local partner NGO TechCeFaCos CM and US, who are also working in promoting creativity and technological empowerment among youths to reduce technical illiteracy, especially among the African children. Since their organization is directly working with the children educational development and mostly in technical literacy. This will be a great help in aintaining the deployment of the XO laptops. We believe we can learn from their experience to reach the target of the OLPCorps Africa Program.

Deployment

The children in Kumbo, Cameroon are not in school from June-August. However most schools schedule for holiday classes as from July. These holiday classes are optional, as most children do participate. So we can make use of the holiday class initiative. Furthermore our local partner TechCeFaCos NGO CM has a holiday program ‘SUHOKU’Media:SUHOKU.doc that gives ICT training and other creativity as well as technology to children of all academy level during summer holidays.

We have chosen two schools(one is in the Government Teachers Training Collage practicing school-Government Primary School Mbven and DAVIVI Bilingual Nursery and Primary school Tobin, Kumbo) to deploy 100 XO ; attempt to make sure that every student in one class of the selected school are able to access the XOs. And will going to sustain this program to ensure that each pupil of the selected school can be the owner of XO Laptop by fund raising activities and with the support of our local partner’s development Collaborator -IAF Canada, Kids Education Concern, as well as the ministry of basic education Cameroon. Finally we come up with the tentative Project Implementation plan to deploy the Program.

Implementation

Phase 1: (setup and preparation)

[Preparation stage: 1st week]

The storage of the 230Kg package of laptop equipment can be transported from Douala to TechCeFaCos NGO CM head office for inventory and secure them in a well maintained environment.
Consign necessary equipment to the TechCeFaCos CM’s IT School Centre.
Setup preparation of the training and deployment with the Partner NGO and local School authority.
Select 100 children [note: We will develop the selection criteria with the help of local school authority and our supporting NGO. [children of age between 6-12]
Preparing training curriculum and calendar with the help of Local School Authority.

Phase 2: (training of teachers and others as facilitators of the project)

[Orientation Stage (Teacher and Authority): 3/4 Days]

Introducing them with OLPC XO
Providing a guide line how to use XO
Providing a guideline for how to guide a student in using XO

Phase 3: (showcasing with children)

1) Orientation Stage (Children): 2nd -3rd weeks

Introducing them with OLPC XO
Explaining importance of XO and why it is useful.
Providing a guideline how to handle XO
Providing a guide line how to use XO.

2) Distribution Stage: 4th -9th week

"Distributing the XO Laptop among children. We want to distribute it before giving them full training because we believe that if we let them explore the system it will be more motivating for them to stick to the XO."

Phase 4: Training stage:(Moves simultaneously with Distribution stage after Orientation)

"We believe in one to one teaching method. But we will also facilitate the learning process in group setting."

Providing the training to the children
Explaining usefulness of OLPC XO
Making the technology interesting to them
Making the learning process enjoyable.
Explaining software maintenance.
Explaining hardware maintenance
Special operation of XO.
- Drawing
- Music
- Internet.

Training Curriculum

Before implementing we have to decide with the authority of the school that how to integrate the school curriculum with the OLPC XO.

Usefulness
Protection
Basic use of OLPC XO
Importance
Typing
Image, Music, Web
Teach a friend.

Sustainability:

The project will be continued and further extended by the local NGO, TechCeFaCos. The sustainability will be under the joint initiative of TechCeFaCos US, IAF Canada and her ICT development initiative for Cameroon with TechCeFaCos Cameroon like the ‘Computer for Cameroon’, Parents Teachers Association of the selected schools as well as the subsidies from the government through the Ministry of Basic education. Besides our team will try to find international sponsors for the purpose of scalability. They will also develop a Memorandum of understanding to be signed by both parties, undertaking to update the coordinators and donors. Activities will be published on project Wiki. Their experiences with the eKids Project, as well as volunteer and trainees opportunity through her development programs will be best in this project follow up and sustainability. Though we have no personal ties with this Kumbo community as well as the country, but intend to create any available and possible diplomatic ties like with the embassy and NGOs so as to give a possible support to ensure surveillance of the project sustainability. No language barrier as the Kumbo community is within the English speaking region of Cameroon.

Impact of OLPC XO:

Since children of today are leaders of tomorrow, a change in these children will mean a change in the world. We strongly believe that laptops should be used not only as a learning tool but as a tool for expressing and nurturing one’s creativity. OLPC gives students the opportunity for both.

When a child see him/her as an owner of a XO Laptop, he/she become more independent Furthermore after getting the opportunity to connect with neighborhood their sharing domain expand and they will be more smart. We will run an impact analysis at the project to identify what impact the OLPC project has had and will prepare a report. We will also identify requirements for more applications and uses of the OLPC.

Place of Deployment

<googlemap version="0.9" lat="5.473832" lon="11.524658" zoom="7"> 6.199307, 10.687573, Place of Deployment Kumbo, Cameroon </googlemap>

Gallery

Some pictures of eKids Project that TechCeFaCos started.