INFORMATION and Communication Technology (ICT) has emerged as one of the most effective drivers of global development, given its capacity to foster greater prosperity and social transformation among nations.

The Government of Guyana, through its One Laptop Per Family project (OLPF), is at the forefront of this thrust among its regional counterparts, changing the lives of its citizens by providing them with the requisite tools and training to harness this potential.
Since the launch of the OLPF project, Guyanese across the country have demonstrated their eagerness and enthusiasm in becoming beneficiaries of the project which offers not only a modern Laptop to eligible applicants, but all the necessary guidance to enable the 90,000 targeted families, among them the most vulnerable, to assimilate easily into Guyana’s emerging knowledge-based society.

With over 28% of the promised 90,000 Laptops already in the hands of eligible applicants across the country, the impact of this unprecedented national intervention is being felt everywhere.

In Region Six
OLPF trainer, Elizabeth Jacobs of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who is part of the small training army spread across the country, believes the literacy level of many recipients has improved tremendously through consistent use of the laptop. She reports that some individuals who were unable to read and spell accurately are now able to do so through the training sessions.
“Here’s an opportunity for them to create a word and sentence and so on; typing is one of the skills they are developing while learning at the same time,” Jacobs said.
Franklin Baker, a resident of Number 19 Village, and proud recipient of a laptop, commended the government for making education and the imparting of knowledge a national priority. His 10-year-old son, Kelvin, he said, has shown tremendous improvement in his school work since the laptop was brought into the home.
“This one laptap for a family benefit ah-wee real good. Ah have a son, 10 years, Kelvin Baker, and he’s in the laptap day and night; he’s in the laptap when he comes in from school till he ready fuh sleep at night,” Baker said, adding that all of his son’s spare time is spent on research and completion of class projects.
Twelve-year-old Angalie Shewkumar, of Albion, and student at the JC Chandisingh Secondary School utilizes her laptop to complete special assignments and conduct research.
“It assists me a lot … with my school work; if I don’t know something, I go into the computer,” young Angalie said. Her father, Roopindra Shewkumar, was the original recipient of the laptop, but due to the nature of his job and other constraints, his daughter sat in on training sessions.
And with the help of programmes loaded on the laptop by her father, Angalie is able to make efficient use of the instrument. The programmes at reference include Encarta Dictionaries, Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2009, and Learning Essential for Students.
At Alness, we were able to catch up with OLPF trainer, Tanda Henry, and recipient, Samanta Alphonso, who are both teachers at the Manchester Secondary School. Samanta offered a brief comment on the benefits of the laptop to her and her two daughters.
“My 13-year-old daughter,” Alphonso said, “is making maximum use of it, because she’s attending Berbice High School. It helps out a lot with homework, which also relieves me, and she’s an independent learner.”
Chipping in with her bit, Henry lauded the Project as an excellent initiative, and noted the benefits to both parents and children. “There are a couple of them (recipients)who couldn’t read; they brought their children, and through the use of the laptop, the children are teaching them basic reading skills,” she said.
Corentyne High School Information Technology and Math teacher, Ms. Gomattie Dubaria, who is also an OLPF Trainer, strongly believes that the use of the laptop will assist both parents and students in boosting their literacy levels.
“The most significant benefit of the laptop,” Dubaria said, “is that the children of the recipients would benefit a lot, in that they could bring it to school… It assists the schoolchildren in preparing for a future.”
At Sand Reef, at the home of recipient, Gyaneshwar Mahabir, his son, Ganesh, was eager to explain how handy having a laptop at his disposal has been for him. “I play games, listen to music and do research,” young Ganesh said.
The One Laptop Per Family project, brainchild of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, is almost at the end of its second year, with a track record of excellence, bringing joy to the most vulnerable in Guyana.
Evidence is in the success stories of the thousands of satisfied recipients all across the country, bringing into fruition the stated commitment of President Donald Ramotar of transforming Guyana into one of the most computer-literate nations on earth.