Laptops to Lesotho Closing

Thank you to the many supporters of Laptops to Lesotho.  On October 22, 2023, the Board of Directors voted to dissolve Laptops to Lesotho.    Our goal of improving educational opportunities for the children was met with the completion of the school and library at Kokobe Elementary School. All remaining funds will be donated to Friends of Lesotho They are an excellent organization that provides funding for many projects in Lesotho. It has been an exceptional 13 years working with the people of Lesotho.

excellent organization that provides ng for many projects in Lesotho.  It has been a wonderful 13 years working with the people of Lesotho.

 

We finally made it back to Kokobe Primary School in March.  We were thrilled to see the building being utilized and we had the grand opening of the Alice Ranthimo Library.

We had a successful two weeks organizing and decorating the new learning center that was created for the students of Kokobe.  The learning center now contains more than 500 library books, 13 Kindle Fires, a SolarSPELL computer from Arizona State University, numerous puzzles, games, drawing tools and more to supplement the students educational opportunities.

The students were so excited to be able to checkout books and utilize the many resources Laptops to Lesotho provided for the students and teachers.

Successful Fundraiser Held

 

A great time was had by all at our first Paint and Sip Fundraiser to benefit the educational program at Kokobe Primary School.  The event raised over $1600. and the proceeds will be used to purchase Kindle Fires for the classroom.

So many have worked hard to make this classroom/library a reality.  Thank you to all of our donors!  Thank you to Florence and Mme Alice for coordinating everything for us in Lesotho.  Our builder has come through as promised.  We even have solar power so they have electricity in the building.  We are in the home stretch but we are not done yet.  The final touches are being put on the building, desks are being delivered, and the library is being coordinated and hopefully will be operational by spring when a team of Laptops to Lesotho educators will visit if travel restrictions are lifted. We are working to purchase the Kindle Fires and are making final decisions on the server we will use to supply the educational information for the students and teachers. In a year that seems to be filled with bad news, this is certainly a bright spot for us.

Progress!!

It is the middle of winter in Lesotho but that has not stopped progress on the classroom/Library.

Progress!!

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

While sometimes we want to progress more quickly we know it takes time to advance towards what will be.  We must remove roadblocks, plan carefully, and collaborate.  Behind the scenes, the collaboration with Arizona State University and its SolarSPELL project is already showing the benefits of working with this proven team. SolarSPELL Technology  Building plans are progressing with plans for the classroom/library/computer lab coming together.  Contracts are being finalized and a timeline is being created. A teacher strike halted progress for a period of time but the project is back on track.

If you would like to contribute to the advancement of this project please click on the link below.  A $50 contribution will purchase a Kindle Fire or 5 library books.
Thank you for your support.  We will keep you informed as we progress on this wonderful project.  https://www.gofundme.com/f/j78s5-education-for-all

Phase 1 Update

One of the most important aspects of this project is raising funds to make it happen.  We would like to thank Friends of Lesotho for their generous support.  Also, the Panhuise Foundation has been a major benefactor and we thank them for their continued support.  Many individuals have donated various amounts and large or small, they all add up to helping us complete this project.  We now are in the process of drawing up building plans and obtaining bids and signed contracts.  We still need to raise funds for tablets, library books, and supplies.  If you would like to contribute to the success of this project please check out our gofundme page.