Rodrigo is Chairman and CEO of the One Laptop Per Child Association.
The organisation has so far distributed more than 2.7 million laptops. These have gone to children in 41 countries and in 21 languages, including many indigenous languages.
Here is some background from the organisation’s website. You can discover more about its superb work at:
Mission
OLPC’s mission is to empower the world’s poorest children through education.
We aim to provide each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop.
To this end, we have designed hardware, content and software for collaborative, joyful, and self-empowered learning.
With access to this type of tool, children are engaged in their own education, and learn, share, and create together.
They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.
Learning is the basis for full human, social,
economic and democratic development
As the pace of change in the world increases dramatically, the urgency to prepare all children to be full citizens of the emerging world also increases dramatically.
No one can predict the world our children will inherit. The best preparation for children is to develop the passion for learning and the ability to learn how to learn.
The root cause of the rapid change, digital technology, also provides a solution. When every child has a connected laptop, they have in their hands the key to full development and participation.
Limits are erased as they can learn to work with others around the world, to access high-quality, modern materials, to engage their passions and develop their expertise.
What children lack is not capability, it is opportunity and resources.
The tool with which to unlock their potential is the XO. Put this ultra-low-cost, powerful, rugged, low-power, ecological laptop in their hands and contribute to making a better world.
In the first years of OLPC we have seen two million previously marginalized children learn, achieve and begin to transform their communities.
We are working to provide this opportunity to millions more.
Here is Rodrigo giving more details about One Laptop Per Child.
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