Give A Child The Gift of Education for Christmas

So it’s always a challenge of what to give my parents for Christmas.  Yes it’s easy to go with the easy stuff like a new hat, a book, lotions, etc but dang it if I don’t like being a little more creative than that.  So what do you give to someone who already has everything that they need?  How about getting something for a less fortunate person and putting it in their name?  PERFECT!

Me being the technology guy that I am it makes sense for me to give a tech toy.  My first computer type machine was given to me by my Uncle for christmas when I was like six.  It was a Tandy Color Computer II.  When I was eight I got a Nintendo and that was the thing that really changed my life and made me into the tech guy I am today.  Finally when I was fifteen or so I got my first PC and can’t tell you how many times I crashed and fixed the thing.  If computers had such an impact on my childhood I’m sure others children can find half the excitement that I enjoyed?

The XO Laptop got a lot of praise last year as it was going through development and is wonder of a machine.  The One Laptop per Child Foundation is providing a great service that I completely support.  If you look at providing a child with one of these as educating them in a competitive world then you are thinking about it like I am.  In my opinion Education is the single most powerful tool to fight war, hunger, and most every other problem in our world.  If this little machine can make a child in the third world a brighter, well rounded, and educated individual then I’m made a difference.

Here is the foundation’s Mission Statement:

Mission Statement: To create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.

So I went ahead and knocked it out and purchased one (hopefully the family won’t read this until after the holidays but this is just to important not to share).  So let’s review what I just accomplished.

  • Bought family a christmas present – CHECK
  • Hopefully changed a child’s life – CHECK
  • Got the Warm Fuzzies just thinking about it – CHECK

Still not convinced check out the OLPC Photostream below.

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