OLPCorps Muskingum College Lesotho

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Draft Project Proposal, 2010 OLPCorps Africa


Background

Isolation, poverty, poor nutrition, and an extremely high HIV/AIDS infection rate make life extremely challenging for the children of Ketane.

Primary education is free in Lesotho, but there are often few, if any, learning resources available. Secondary education is not free, and many students cannot afford it.


Support

The teachers and principal of Ha Nohana are very supportive of our project. We will also be working with an existing community group that supports the computer school, the local council, parents, community leaders, and other community groups to develop a strong local support system for the project before the computers arrive, and we will continue to work with them throughout deployment of the computers to insure long-term sustainability of the project. At the national level, we will be seeking support from ministry officials, members of parliment, the president, and the king. We are already working with the Peace Corps staff in Maseru, Lesotho, on ways Peace Corps can support the project. We have an existing affiliation with the U.S.-based group, Friends of Lesotho, and hope to get support from that group. We subscribe to the mailing list for OLPC-za (OLPC South Africa Interest Group) and will be contacting recipients of previous OLPCorps Africa grants in South Africa for advice and possible support. We are in the process of setting up a nonprofit organization in the U.S. to raise additional funds to support this project now and into the future.


Plans

Class will still be in session when the two U.S. college students, along with the computers, arrive in the village. We will use this opportunity to introduce ourselves to the school staff, the students, and the community, and to refine the schedule for XO training.