The Cambridge based One
Laptop Per Child foundation has announced that it is to launch a summer grant program that will see thousands of African children receive XO
laptops . The scheme involves 100 teams of
university students distributing the laptops to African children, in a bid to revive the fortunes of the non-profit organization which has at times struggled to distribute its
PCs . The latest blow to the organization arrives in January, when the foundation revealed that it was being forced to lay-off some of its staff. However, the organization, founded by Nicholas Negroponte, last month promised to launch a cheaper laptop in the near future.
A press release from the One Laptop Per Child organization announced, ‘Partnering with schools and non-governmental organizations in
Africa, undergraduate and
graduate students from around the world will assist in providing educational opportunities to children in the world's poorest countries. One Laptop Per Child will provide each student team with 100 XO laptops, related
hardware, and up to $10,000 for operating costs. The teams will attend an orientation workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 8-17. Afterwards, they will spend nine weeks in an African nation, working directly with local community partners to integrate the XO laptop into primary education.’