On June 21st 2009, 4 selected schools in Kabul will be equipped with XO laptops where each child in grade 4, 5 and 6 receiving specially customized XO (One Laptop Per Child) Laptops, wireless school networks, digital libraries and visual programming languages to provide teachers, children and parents with more opportunities for learning, economic information and health information. Kabul deployment aims to distribute 2000 laptops.  Already 400 laptops are in active use by children, teachers and parents in Istiqlal high school in Jalalabad.

The specially customized software is completely localized in Dari, Pashto languages.  The laptops and school server that creates a digital library is loaded with locally prepared content.  The XO laptop has proved in other countries notably Peru and Uruguay to be an extremely cost effective option to radically improve the quality of education. These computers will be integrated into teaching curricula, providing students with a vast educational resource, access to word processing, and many other educational programs, email, and internet browser software.  More than 500,000 such laptops have been distributed globally.

 "This inventiveness represents a reflection of a new era of rejuvenation for the education system of Afghanistan .  It provides our youth the opportunity to use technology in their daily lesson and learn in a modern way,"said Dr. Farooq Wardak, The Minister of Education.

Uniquely in Afghanistan the program has an economic development component to deliver economically valuable information such as interview advice, small business information, literacy and directories with a view to see how the laptop can go some way to covering it's cost.

The technical innovations make the laptop well positioned to overcome challenges in Afghanistan; it consumes just 6.5W of electricity (3 times less than a normal laptop), features a screen that can be read in the dark or in direct sunlight, can withstand small drops and falls, a watertight keyboard and an anti-theft deactivation system.  The laptop has 256MB RAM, a 1GB Flash Drive , and a 450Mhz processor with wireless connectivity, word processor, visual programming languages, art programs, and many more all in Dari and Pashto languages.

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Education the project brings together a unique partnership with the Ministry of Communication and IT, The One Laptop Per Child Foundation of the USA , Roshan Telecommunication, and USAID/Afghanistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development working together with local IT company PAIWASTOON.

Afghanistan's Ministries of Education, and Communication and Information Technology are the government institutions tasked with improving education and the information technology (ICT) sectors. They work to, collectively embed communication technology in the education sectors and establish platforms to transform Afghan society into information based society Roshan Social Programs, a department of one of Afghanistan's leading telecommunications firms, supports this endeavor through the provision of network utilities and internet connectivity. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its small and medium enterprise project, provided financial and logistical support for the creation of online Dari training, a localized business creation toolkit, and a marketing campaign to promote and expand the program's implementation as a tool for economic development. This innovative partnership, a USAID Global Development Alliance, brings together expertise and other diverse resources from the public, private, and NGO sectors, linking international organizations to local implementers.

For further information, please contact:
Salim Hayran

Ministry of Education
Information Communication Director &
OLPC Project Coordinator
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it || This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mobile: 0093700399039

Source: http://asmed.af/news.php?pageId=12