Projects

WHH One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Computer Program

Ghana Together and Western Heritage Home have initiated a computer learning program for young children using One Laptop Per Child computers donated by North American participants in OLPC’s “Give One Get One” purchase program held in December of 2007 and 2008. Maryanne Ward introduced the leaders of WHH and the town of Axim to the OLPC in April of 2008, and got their full acceptance to start a modest program with donated machines. In April 2009, Tom Castor, Leif Pederson, and Maryanne delivered enough OLPCs to the WHH Children’s Home to ensure that each child 5 and older received his/her own.

They spent about three weeks training first the WHH Board members and then the children on the computers, which are wonderfully well-stocked with learning “activities.” Each activity seems like a game to the child, but teaches some vital skill in reading, mathematics, researching, recording, logical thinking, etc. Children can look up almost any subject on the “wiki,” can browse informational materials, write stories, compose music, create their own illustrated “story books,” and so many other fun activities. Our WHH children, who had never touched a computer, and perhaps only seen one on TV, caught on so rapidly! What a joy!!

Of course, the children started inviting their friends to come up to the Home after school to work together on the OLPCs. What a great way for orphaned children living in a special residential facility, to “normalize” their lives!

One thing has led to another. Ghana Together has received more OLPCs (thank you!). Maxwell Quarm, the computer instructor/technician for the WHH Academy, has sufficient OLPCs to offer classes specifically for non-resident neighborhood children. They met in the afternoon during the September ’09 school break, as a test program, and it was so enthusiastically received that they will meet on Saturdays during the school year. Currently there are 19 children enrolled, but many more are expected. Luckily, WHH has the nice Children’s Home/Community Learning building in which to host the classes. We congratulate Maxwell on his can-do spirit and his enthusiasm for working with children! He has set himself the goal of learning “all things OLPC,” and is rapidly becoming an expert.

This child is quite thrilled to learn computer skills

The wonderful thing is that the OLPC is not “just another laptop.” Uniquely developed by MIT Media Labs for children in emerging countries, they are true “learning machines.” Our Ghanaian children are definitely the target audience. Judging from our experience, the children are on a new path of learning and self-development, thanks to this new resource in their lives. Imagine children with few books or even textbooks suddenly being able to look up almost any subject on their “wiki!” Imagine having no math texts, and suddenly being able to play math “games” that get more and more challenging as one becomes more proficient. Imagine having almost no paper or pens at hand, and suddenly being able to write stories, with illustrations(!), to share with friends.

Imagine being able to “chat” with one’s friends, using only the little OLPC “ears” as antenna, not even needing an internet connection! About that… yes, internet is available in Axim, but barely, and the OLPCs are not connected at this point—which may be OK. Certainly, the children have plenty to keep them engaged without it.

Who knows how the minds and hearts of these children will be moved and developed by this experience? Officially, the OLPC program is large, international, involves governments, national-level education departments, country teams, significant education budgets, etc. How this program will be deployed in Ghana generally remains to be seen. We are just a small, humble corner of this world, but we and WHH are proud to have introduced these machines in the Western Region of Ghana. We have put our OLPCs in good hands. While the machines are owned by Ghana Together, they are maintained and watched over by the staff of Western Heritage Home. John Cudjoe, a local carpenter, designed and built special cabinets for their storage and the OLPCs are carefully monitored daily to ensure that none are missing. We of Ghana Together are supporting the OLPC program as needs arise by communicating almost weekly.

We especially thank our North American friends who have so generously donated their OLPCs and their energies. We also thank our Ghanaian partners, especially the young and energetic staff at WHH, who have so enthusiastically embraced this program, worked so hard to learn as much as possible, and are passing on their new knowledge to others!