One Laptop per person? How can we open the net access of Africa?

Question

One Laptop per person? How can we open the net access of Africa?

What's about this proposal?

"The XO-1, previously known as the $100 Laptop or Children's Machine, is an inexpensive laptop computer intended to be distributed to children around the world,

especially to those in developing countries, to provide them with access to knowledge. The laptop is developed by the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) social welfare organization. OLPC is a U.S. based, non-profit organization, 501(c)(4) created by faculty members of the MIT Media Lab to design, manufacture, and distribute the laptop and its software. ..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XO-1_(laptop)

What's about other ideas? Tell me! Remember I don't need your opinion IF you want to do something but HOW you'd do something ...

Answer 1

One laptop per person will remain a dream because many cannot afford to eat.  How can they buy a laptop?

Answer 2

It is an excellent idea.  Most of the financing is coming from organizations and charatible foundations, like the UNDP and Gates Foundation.  The persons themselves may not actually be paying any money, nor their governments.

The main problem I see is infrastructure.  Yes, many of these people have a hard time affording food and shelter, what would they do with a laptop?  The organization is first expanding in areas where it would be most effective, in places that are still relatively poor yet have some finances.  But, how are they even going to get internet access or electricity?  You would need some kind of funding to get these resources to these people.  I think this would be an important step in a place such as South Africa, where infrastructure mildly exists and the ability for integration is relatively easy.  But, talking about giving every child a laptop, we dont even have that amount of resources in the United States.  I think its an ambitious goal but one that is going to take a significant amount of time, planning, and monetary resources before it will ever be effective.