The Ministry of Education Afghanistan (MoE), and Ministry of Communication and Information Technology Afghanistan (MoCIT), in a unique public-private partnership with USAID’s Afghanistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development (ASMED) and Telecom Development Company Afghanistan - Roshan, launched the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project in Afghanistan in September 13, 2008.

The first phase of this project includes the design, manufacturing and distribution of 5,800 low cost laptop computers called OLPC-XO laptops, which will reach primary school students in grades 4, 5 and 6 in selected governmental schools across Afghanistan . The OLPC Foundation, a US non-profit organization considers computers to be a critical tool in eradicating poverty and promotion of education level, and has contributed 5,000 of the laptops to this public-private partnership in Afghanistan.

These XO 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 into two formal languages of Afghanistan (Dari & Pashto), as well as the implemented technologies.

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-ASMED 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.

PAIWASTOON Networking Services Ltd., has developed Dari and Pashto translations of the XO software, user manuals, training materials, provides open source software expertise and is undertaking research into economic development applications for this hardware.

The first deployment shall take place in Istiqlal High school in Jalalabad on March 17th 2009, delivering 396 XOs to students and teachers of 4th, 5th and 6th grades.