…Berbice, East Coast Demerara and Region 3 residents latest beneficiaries
THE One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Secretariat is pushing ahead full steam with the distribution of the Haier laptops, with the latest beneficiaries being drawn from Cane Grove in Mahaica, Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, and several villages in Berbice. On Wednesday, several Georgetown areas, including Lodge, Sophia and Kitty/Campbellville received their devices.
Since the distribution commenced in October last, several thousands of the devices have been given out.

Cane Grove gets first batch
While not all persons who had applied received one Thursday, the first batch of 40 persons who received  comprised of single parents, low income, and differently-abled persons’ groups. The second phase of distribution will take in persons in a higher income bracket.
Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, who supervised the distribution, reminded residents that the purpose of the OLPF is to empower Guyanese to compete in a fair and equitable way with others in society. The distribution of one laptop to each Guyanese family will allow them to compete in the technological age.
He assured them that all residents who have applications in the system and meet the criteria will get their computers, as the distribution will continue in stages until each family gets one.
Minister Nandlall urged residents to use the laptops for the purpose for which they were given, to educate and advance themselves.
RDC Councillor and Community Leader, Chandroutie Ramnarine, said that it would be a great help for school children in the community, while Deon McKenzie is appreciative of the fact that high school students will now have easier access to the internet to get their research for assignments done.
Tandika Gonsalves is thankful to the Government for the OLPF programme, and knows that it will bring great improvement to the community. Pointing out that there is much drug and alcohol use in the community, she said that the young people will be able to access help and information on these issues via the internet. Tandika added that the computer would give her that extra push, as one is never too old to learn.
Neemawattie Baldeo also has extended gratitude to the Government of Guyana on behalf of Cane Grove residents.  She said without the OLPF, it would take the community a very long time to get to the level that a laptop per family would bring them.   

Region 3 beneficiaries
Over 44 Region 3 families Thursday received their netbooks at the Pouderoyen Secondary School, West Bank Demerara, as the seventh distribution exercise was done in the Region.
Speaking to the recipients, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud, recalled that there were many doubts and questions raised in certain sections of society during the conceptualisation of the project, however, he noted that the positive side of it was realized and supported by the larger Guyanese population.
“We are so happy that today, under the present PPP/C Government, we can continue the distribution of the laptops…this gift to each family is one that will empower families at every sphere of the  society,” Minister Persaud said.
Persons who are not proficient in the use of the computer were urged to attend the training programmes, which are not long and tedious.
Region 3 Chairman, Julius Faerber, encouraged the recipients, regardless of age, to use the device as a learning tool so as to improve themselves as the world advances more and more into the digital age.  
Abdul Azeez, one of the recipients, expressed his enthusiasm at the prospect of his daughter’s education being enhanced following the acquisition of the device.
Meanwhile, Beresford Winter, a grandfather, said that he is very excited to learn to use the computer, so that he can communicate with his relatives overseas via the internet.

Berbice villages
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy on Wednesday, was in Berbice, Region 6, where he assisted in the distribution of more than 100 laptops to residents of Alness, who received 33; Canefield, Canje, with 51; Skeldon, with 67; and Corriverton, with 46.
Minister Ramsammy said that it is government’s intention to transform Guyana into one of the most computer literate countries in the Caribbean, as it believes that Information Communication Technology is the wave of the future, moreso, ICT has transformed the mode of operation across the world as information can be accessed in a matter of seconds using this technology.
“Today, the use of ICT creates job opportunities…the Government of Guyana wants to make call centres a business in Guyana that provides jobs for its citizens…for that to be possible, we need to ensure that each citizen is computer literate…the OLPF is Government’s first response to addressing that need,” Minister Ramsammy said.
Everett Harewood, of the Corriverton Development Association, one of the ICT learning hubs, expressed gratitude to the government for the initiative which will positively impact the lives of thousands of Guyanese.
In like manner, beneficiaries were not only thankful for  receiving the equipment free of cost, but what mostly impacted them was the fact that they will be trained to use the equipment, all being done for free.
Chandrawattie Chan, of Skeldon, Berbice, said that by owning a laptop and having internet connectivity, she would no longer be required to find money to send her children to the internet, as they now can access the services free of cost.
The arrival of the first 5000 Haier laptops from China paved the way for the start of the distribution phase, which saw 1000 being given out last October.
Thus far recipients in Regions 3, 4, 6 and 10 have begun receiving their devices.
ICT is being viewed as a knowledge-based sector which has high value in today’s world, given the volume of wealth it holds for the future, and it is one of the new sectors expected to generate greater disposable income for Guyanese and lead to the creation of thousands of jobs.
The logical developmental framework of the OLPF creates a digital connection between the individual, the family, the community and the nation, and the global village.
Families joining the programme will inevitably come face to face with the infinite range of opportunities and possibilities for self-development, business, and growth that reside in the global marketplace, made possible through the world wide-web.
Since the launch of OLPF in January, 2011, non-stop efforts are being made to ensure that the process of getting the laptops to those who qualify as easy and as hassle-free as possible. The project will see over 90,000 laptops being distributed to families across Guyana by the end of a five-year period.