Mobilizing Haiti: Get Free Ruggedized Laptops

As 10 million post-Earthquake Haitians struggle to survive, then make sense of their flattened communities and missing infrastructure, OLPC’s community-driven Contributors Program is working with the US Naval Postgraduate School’s Hastily Formed Networks Research Group’s Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief project (blog) — and Sahana, an award-winning Free and Open Source Disaster Management System inspired by 2004’s Indian Ocean Tsunami — to support their Haiti response.

2010 Haiti quake intensity map

Shaking intensity from the earthquake

We want free ruggedized XO Laptops running Linux (with Wifi, browser, kids’ learning activities and a whole lot more) to go to aid/reconstruction groups who quickly explain to us their need.  We’re in discussions with 5 so far, but want you to help us find many more aid/reconstruction groups and initiatives that can leverage our work.  Supplies are limited, but we will do our human best to consider all genuinely committed groups — please request/explain your need today at: help@laptop.org

Note Full Applications will be processed more quickly.

Free solar-charging backpacks are also currently available independently from: jeff@voltaicsystems.com ! (for more intensive uses, please consider other alternative energy approaches)

Thanks for spreading the word — please find your own way to help Haitians into the new decade, building a whole new country.

16 thoughts on “Mobilizing Haiti: Get Free Ruggedized Laptops

  1. Pingback: Haiti Earthquake 2010 (Part One) « SaigonOLPC

  2. I wish the less previledge children in our schools in Nigeria public Schools to be computer literate, but there is no means I can do this. But I will be grateful if you can suplly to our contry. Thanks

  3. Respected sir/madam
    i am sundar from india. i am also a poor man. so i can’t purchase laptop.my father take rish for my education . so please sir help to me and give free laptop to me . it is also true sir.my follwing address
    sundaramahalingam.k
    s/o,A.karuppaiah
    4A,v.k.m.street, sivakasi.
    viruthunagar district , tamilnadu
    india

  4. Isn’t there a story about an XO – 1 Laptop computer placed in the center of a village in Africa, (?) and that the children had access to, and somehow taught themselves by fits and starts to operate the computer quickly?

    If the story is true, can you give a reference for it?

    • You’re thinking of the Hole in the Wall project, which was before OLPC’s time in India. It’s a wonderful story, and a fine documentary was made about it by GlobalVision.

  5. Please email me about the expansion. If there would be an opportunity for my small group of field techs to participate, that would be great. Could you send me one to get familiar with? I am in Ohio btw – thanks 🙂

  6. Pingback: Helping Haiti: Part 1 « SaigonOLPC

  7. @chromelightning: we have programs in the US, mainly in Alabama and Pennsylvania, and are open to adding more.

    @Kerby, I’m not sure that XOs would be useful to the project you have in mind; please contact info@laptop.org with more detail if you are working with children or otherwise want to pursue the idea.

  8. Pingback: Haitians Rely On Old-School Communication In Earthquake Aftermath | latestmusicheadlines.com

  9. Pingback: Haitians Rely On Old-School Communication In Earthquake Aftermath /  BBNewz

  10. Pingback: Haitians Rely On Old-School Communication In Earthquake Aftermath | Beautiful Lie - Music & Beyond

  11. Pingback: Sahana et OLPC : une contribution pour la gestion des catastrophes | OLPC France

  12. The MASSACHUSETTS HAITIAN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION is looking for local partnership with business institutions, the legal community, and any individuals who would like to help us provide some needed legal services to the community in Mass. and Haiti. We would like to set up at least 2 call centers covering the Mattapan and Brockton (Heaviest concentration of Haitians in Mass). We need computers, scanners, fax, telephone lines and internet connections.
    We will be working in partnership with the US Homeland Secutity and other Local Government Agencies on retrieving and authenticating legal documents that have been lost or destroyed for Mass. Residents stranded in Haiti. Other services will include communication with loved ones in Haiti – Transfer of funds and foods to Haiti. We would appreciate your participation and or partnership. Please call me directly: KERBY ROBERSON, ESQ. 617-448-3576

  13. Not saying this isn’t a good idea, but why are we sending to other countries what we don’t have here for our own children? Is this only for other countries, or for disaster situations?, or is is for any child anywhere who could use the help? Thank you, either way, it is a nice thing to do. Thank you. :0) Peace

Leave a Reply to Tayo Ogungbade Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *