The One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Secretariat rolled out its massive distribution exercise earlier this week and plans to continue today in Campbellville and Lodge.
On Tuesday, several teams from the OLPF Secretariat fanned out in communities across Region Four, delivering 1,500 of 6,000 laptops earmarked for the East Coast, East Bank and Georgetown, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
With a total of 28,000 laptops already in the hands of families in numerous communities countrywide, 78 computers were distributed at the All Star Sports Club, Supply, Mahaica for residents of Supply and Strathavon, and 257 devices shared out at the Chowbay residence, Helena for other East Coast beneficiaries.
According to GINA, 277 beneficiaries from Enmore to Bachelor’s Adventure received their computers during a distribution exercise at the Enmore Resource Centre. One hundred and eleven Buxtonians received theirs from the Ambassadors of Buxton Development Association Building, while OLPF staffers delivered visually impaired Joan Johnson’s system to her at home.
At the Farm Community Centre on the East Bank, 114 laptops were distributed to residents from Herstelling to Little Diamond. Sixty-five residents of Soesdyke collected their systems from the Camille Institute at Lot 1-4 Soesdyke while 85 residents of Kuru Kururu collected theirs from the Board of Industrial Training Centre in their community.
At the Sophia Exhibition Centre, 280 laptops were distributed to residents of Sophia; 170 at the Hebrew Family of Guyana centre in North Ruimveldt to residents of South Ruimveldt Park, Lamaha Springs and Festival City. One hundred and thirty-nine were distributed at the Guyana Islamic Trust building in Albouystown to residents of Albouystown, Laing Avenue, Yarrow Dam, Riverview, Ruimveldt and Alexander Village.
At the distribution exercise on Albouystown, PPP MP Manzoor Nadir spoke about the genesis of the OLPF initiative. He said that the exercise was important for fostering the recipients’ social, economic and personal development.
“This piece of equipment that we have given out ought to bring to all of us opportunities; this is not about $60,000 the government is giving you, this is about opportunities. This instrument that you are getting today is an important tool in you and your family’s development,” he said.
According to GINA, government is investing huge sums to ensure that the nation has access to Information Communication Technologies that are currently driving production globally. Nadir said that while the first 27,000 laptops were distributed at the cost of over US$7M funded by the government; this batch is from the 33,000 that was covered under a grant from the Government of China.
“…This One Laptop Programme is at tremendous sacrifice to people, because every dollar we spend on this programme could have been spent to do something else,” Nadir said, and urged recipients to care the instruments. He then advised them to capitalise on the training being offered in the use of the computer.
GINA said at some distribution centres, recipients started their mandatory ten-hour training—a condition attached to receiving complete ownership of the device. At other locations, recipients were given basic instructions and registered to start training which is set to start this week.
