These people need to be educated to get them out of poverty.... Giving them access to computers helps them get an education. I think places like this should have internet cafe style places where they can plug in their equipment and get an education. Ask any recent 1sy world homeschooler and they will tell you how important a computer was in their education. Yes there are other priorities like medicine and water, but as computer experts we can also contribute with what we are experts in. They should not be left behind in the digital age. Computers and the internet are a big part of todays world infrastructure.
--- alan c <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > (thanks for the information) > > I very much welcome the efforts by the organisers, > although there are > unanswered questions implied - I cannot really > understand the apparent > priority need for computers when the local > communications (telephone, > internet connection) are not in place yet. > A similar thought occurs relating to power, where a > priority would > come to mind for a power generator first, maybe for > facilities other > than computers. The suggestion of various distros is > also a little > unrealistic - to my mind anyway - for a learning > situation in a remote > location - each distro will make very different > demands on the users > (in)experience. > > I note this possibility but I will be continuing to > look for other > possibilities. > alan cocks > > Alan Pope wrote: > > With the discussion on this list about doing work > for charity, and reusing computers I thought this > mail on the UK LUGMaster list > > might be interesting to the group. > > > > Cheers, > > Al. > > > > ----- Forwarded message from Mark Broadbent > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ----- > > > > Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:27:38 +0000 > > From: Mark Broadbent <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: [lugmaster] Fwd: Linux-refurbished > Laptops for Nepal Appeal! > > > > Hi All, > > > > I've been asked by a member of my LUG > (Herefordshire) if the following > > notice could be circulated around as many LUGs as > possible please. > > > > All follow-ups to this should be directed to Matt > Rhys-Roberts at > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Thanks > > Mark Broadbent > > Herefordshire LUG > > > > --------------- > > A small business in North Wales has hit upon the > idea of supplying a > > school in an impoverished area of Nepal, with > refurbished laptop > > computers running Linux. In their own words: > > > > "The Shree Garma Secondary School is in the > Solukhumbu district of Nepal > > and is only 40 miles from Everest. It is extremely > isolated and there are > > no roads. It can be reached by an internal flight > from Kathmandu followed > > by a three hour walk. It is obviously very poor > and most people are > > subsistence farmers. > > > > The school caters for around 150 children of all > ages. They have only the > > most basic facilities and no electricity. Their > main priority is to have > > computers. Initially we are going to try and > supply them with six lap top > > computers which can be charged in houses which do > have electricity and > > longer term our aim is to develop a hydro power > station which could > > potentially provide electricity to many houses as > well as the school. > > > > Katlan Trading Company based at The Souk in > Llangollen is committed to > > helping this school through importing goods from > Nepal. A percentage of > > all sales will go direct to the school. We are not > a registered charity > > but instead are aiming to help through direct > trade." > > > > > > The company wishes to enlist the help of any UK > LUG members who can a) > > gather unused laptops, b) install Linux on them, > and c) send them to a > > central collection point to be announced. > > > > The ideal Linux distro remains to be decided, > since equipment will vary > > greatly. However it is hoped, hardware permitting, > that each laptop will > > have installed on it a minimum of: a working X > server, OpenOffice (or > > smaller office apps for lesser machines), a > graphics package, printer > > and network support, email, IRC, and of course the > Nepali language as > > far as possible. There appears to be a Nepali > distro already underway at > > http://www.nepalinux.org/ , which may be suitable > for some hardware. For > > lesser machines, perhaps Damn Small Linux, Vector > Linux or Knoppix may > > be more appropriate. > > > > The village has no phone network yet, but one is > anticipated there > > within the next 2 years! > > > > Please contact me if you can contribute in any way > to this project. I > > aim to help coordinate efforts to source donated > laptops, test them, > > install appropriate software, then perform a final > quality check. We are > > still at the planning stage, seeing who's really > available to help. No > > doubt this project could generate some very good > publicity for Linux > > abroad, waste prevention and fair trade. > > > > Regards, > > Matt Rhys-Roberts, Wrexham > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > (Herefordshire LUG member) > > > > PS. Further reading for inspiration (it looks like > there's already a > > good & growing Nepalese Linux user base!): > > > > > http://www.researchut.com/repository/linux-nepal.html > > A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting > GNU/Linux in the > > kingdom of the Himalayas > > http://www.nepalinux.org/ > > The new release NepaLinux 1.1 is a relatively > bug-free and revised > > version of the previous beta release. > > http://www.linuxnepal.com.np/aboutus/ > > A Linux enthusiasts' site in Nepal > > ------------------------- > > ------------------------- > > > > > -- > Kubuntu user#10391 > > -- > ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk > https://wiki.kubuntu.org/UKTeam/ > ___________________________________________________________ What kind of emailer are you? Find out today - get a free analysis of your email personality. Take the quiz at the Yahoo! 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