OLPCorps Jamii OLPC Tanzania

Jamii OLPC

Jamii OLPC is no longer is existence. The team officially disbanded in June 2009.

Budget & Fundraising

Jamii OLPC is requesting the full $10,000 stipend from OLPCorps, to cover 65% of our estimated $15,486 in expenses. A detailed preliminary budget is available here. The MSCC and International Unit will raise funds and pursue sources of sustainable funding to cover the remaining costs.

The most significant challenge to sustainability will be the increase in electricity costs. MSCC has decided that “a self sufficient, no monthly expense system would be the best way to sustain our project”; therefore, after initial expenses, Jamii OLPC will focus on providing MSCC with solar and wind power as a self sufficient, environmentally friendly solution (see quote from Kenitel Solar).

A substantial part of this endeavor will involve securing stable post-deployment financial support, as outlined below.

Matemwe Unit

Although Matemwe is a rural area afflicted by considerable poverty, it is also a tourist destination and home to several hotels sustained primarily by European business, a disparity that is present in numerous developing regions throughout the world.

However, this also presents a unique opportunity: Matemwe School and the MSCC will focus on developing partnerships with these local hotels, encouraging their involvement in the Matemwe community by committing to assisting with long-term funding for the environmentally friendly power options for the XO Library.

International Unit

• We are currently in the process of discussing the possibility of a partnership between Matemwe School and an Ottawa-area school. This potential partnership would provide financial sustainability for Matemwe School, connect and encourage peer-to-peer learning between children from very different cultures and countries through an e-penpal program, and provide opportunities for Ottawa-area teachers to spend their summers gaining invaluable experience volunteering with Matemwe School.
• Preliminary planning is taking place for the Jamii Galas, two elegant evenings (one in Ottawa and one in Toronto) that will serve as both promotional and fundraising events. Although still at the very beginning stages, so far we anticipate that these evenings will include a silent auction and presentations from Jamii OLPC team members.
• We are currently in the process of creating an official Jamii OLPC Sponsorship Package. If Jamii OLPC is approved, this package will be distributed to local businesses and in most cases be specifically geared toward generating support for the Jamii Galas (ie. monetary donations, silent auction items, catering for the Galas, attendance, etc).

Upon confirmation of OLPCorps acceptance, we will also seek funding and support from organizations 1) affiliated with the six universities associated with Jamii OLPC and 2) involved with XO-related technology. These include, but are not limited to:

• Carleton Graduate Student Travel/Research Bursary
• The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
• Aga Khan Foundation Canada
• Canadian International Development Agency
• Ottawa Canada Linux Users Group
• Toronto Linux Users Group

Project Idea Highlights

Educator's Package in Progress

View our Pedagogical Advisory Unit's discussions about curriculum and project development on the Jamii OLPC Curriculum Talk Page.

Formalized ideas will be posted below as they are finalized by the team!

SongChild Two of the members of our Pedagogical Advisory Unit, Jason Nolan and Danny Bakan, are the Project Leaders of SongChild. The concept of SongChild is "to develop and maintain an on-line community of users, who will work together to write and share kids songs. The mandate of the site is to foster an Open License Music Project, in which users will work together to build upon and create public domain material. This musical repertoire of public domain kid's songs will be available to share and with children everywhere." As curriculum and projects are developed, the Pedagogical Advisory Unit will create a way in which to incorporate the SongChild project into Jamii OLPC.