[Grassroots-l] [laptop.org #14765] Volunteer opportunities

[Edward Cherlin]

On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 8:09 PM, Samuel Klein <sj at laptop.org> wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 10:39 PM, Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> >  * we have a lot of low-hanging fruit to gather in terms of identifying
>> > NGO
>> > and University contacts by country, and helping them get involved /
>> > share
>> > local knowledge about how to get things done / sign up to host
>> > volunteers or
>> > give them projects to work on.
>>
>> I'm recruiting localizers, engineers, and a few other specialties
>> right now, and would be delighted to work together with whoever else
>> wants to do this on whatever projects are needed.
>
> A useful thing to do would be to enagage an NGO with international
> experience and get their feedback on what gaps exist in the [[deployment
> guide]], and expand the current fairly school-specific guide into something
> that includes prep in advance : buildign rassroots support, finding local
> ngo's and other potential partners; and prep for 5-year sustainiability :
> setting up repair centers, seeding local business models that will bear
> fruit once there are thousands of net-connected laptop users and networks
> for sharing digital publications / tools.

Bryan Berry at OLE Nepal is the best resource for that. He and I have
agreed that we need to get the teacher training materials in Nepali
translated to English and then to other languages. I am talking to
Sayamindu about a document repository suitable for managing
translations. He has said that he will evaluate one of the Open Source
alternatives that we know about, and if we can turn up more, I am sure
that he will be willing to look at them. We need to open up this
process, in addition to the localization process on Pootle, and
recruit many more translators. At some point we will be able to
recruit students in laptop programs around the world, but that has to
wait until enough of them speak English or another global language in
addition to one or more of the local target languages.

>> ... both of these especially in the majority of deployment sites where we
>> can't currently send anyone from OLPC.

If my microfinance idea works out, we will be able to hire them.

>> I've been talking with people about creating a company to partner with
>> OLPC on deployments, to handle teacher training, local rollout,
>> renewable sources of electricity, Internet connections, and whatever
>> else turns out to be needed. And funding options, whether grants,
>> microfinance, or investments in regular for-profit businesses.
>
> I was thinking of how to make it possible for those who want to offer
> voluntary help to deployed schools, and schools interested in receiving
> help, to be able to connect with one another.   I was not thinking of
> business models (and would find it more interesting to see locally created
> businesses along those lines).

Yes, the microfinance idea is to partner with numerous local businesses.

>> > I copy the grassroots list, as part of my commitment to not sending any
>> > email longer than a paragraph that doesn't go to some public list :-)
>>
>> Thanks, SJ.
>
> I hope you join me in the same... concise personal emails, preferring
> publicly archived communication, and any truly long dissertation captured on
> a wiki or blog -- someplace commentable if not editable.

Right.

> SJ

-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay