One Laptop Per Child Campaign Launched

KABUL, September 13, 2008: The Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, in conjunction with USAID’s Afghanistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development (ASMED) and Roshan, announced the launch of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project. The OLPC project is a computer literacy and e-learning program designed to increase educational opportunities for the youth of Afghanistan and improve the country’s information technology infrastructure. The first phase of this project, which will include the design, manufacturing and distribution of 5,800 low cost laptop computers, will reach hundreds of thousands of students in over 188 schools in Kabul City and across the country.

The internationally recognized OLPC program has already been successfully implemented in numerous countries including Colombia, the United States, Mexico, Uruguay and Ethiopia. The laptops are designed, manufactured and distributed throughout the world by the OLPC Foundation, a US non-profit organization. The OLPC Foundation considers computers to be a critical tool in eradicating poverty and has contributed 5,000 of the laptops to this public private partnership in Afghanistan.

The machines will be distributed to schools by the MoE and will be equipped with digitized content of current textbooks, the Holy Quran, a library and Web content. The MoCIT will be responsible for ensuring the quality of the localization of electronic content, as well as the implemented technologies.

H. E. Eng. A. Sangin Minister of Communications and Information Technology said “MCIT in the last five years has laid a reasonable telecom infrastructure, ready to host the e applications; MCIT’s future focus is to promote the use of ICT in different sectors of the country.”

“Roshan continues to be committed to improving the quality of education and investments in Afghan communities and we are honored to participate in this effort to empower children to educate themselves through technology. This will enable Afghan’s new generation to be better prepared to tackle peace building, poverty, malnutrition and disease challenges in the country,” said Karim Khoja, Chief Executive Officer, Roshan.

Roshan has assisted in facilitating the OLPC donation for the project and will also donate 800 laptops to the project, as well as provide project management support. In addition to supplying internet connectivity, the company will support and counsel installation teams responsible for the implementation of networking infrastructure.

USAID is providing financial support of $300,000 USD for deployment of the laptops to schools all around Afghanistan and to develop and maximize the economic and social impact of the project.