Providing Lesotho's Children with Keys to the World

This is the story of our efforts to end the vicious cycle of poverty, disease, inadequate education, and early death
in a remote rural community in Lesotho, Africa, by providing quality education and life skills
to the young children there. Join us on our journey ...

Monday, August 27, 2012

A Few Pictures - Laptops to Lesotho

children using XO laptops in classroom during teacher training
Children use XO laptops
during L2L teacher training
Child leaving school, carrying an XO laptop home after class
Child carrying XO laptop home from school
a student's friends and family, together inside a mut hut home, peer into the lens of an XO laptop
A student's family and friends caught by the XO laptop camera
scholarships winners pose for a picture holding XO laptops, with their principal and L2L project leader Matlabe Teba
Top graduates who earned scholarships
to continue schooling beyond free
primary school, holding XO laptops,
with Principal & L2L Project Leader
Matlabe Teba.
view of mountainous region where the tiny, remote village of Mafikeng clings to the mountainside
Mafikeng, Ketane, Lesotho, birthplace of L2L

 
Computers can bring out hidden talents in some students. The boy in the foreground struggled to accomplish tasks other students grasped quickly. But when they had to do an activity with the XO laptops forming tesselations, he soared ahead while the other students floundered. When he finished the task well ahead of the rest, he jumped up and shouted triumphantly. 
Students must earn the right to take a laptop home after school.  This is done through a structured point system that rewards good behavior, academic effort and achievement, and volunteer service.  Students who qualify are allowed to check out laptops much like a library book.


Parents say not only has the children's behavior improved, but the students have begun teaching their siblings and parents how to use the computers.  Here the student's friends and family are caught peering into the laptop camera's lens.



Proud scholarship winners holding XO laptops donated by Laptops to Lesotho.
Retsepile Nthuba, second from the left, injured his eye while play-fighting with sticks. It went untreated for a month. When the community, school staff, and a Peace Corps Volunteer found out, they paid for surgery and related expenses. Ultimately, he lost the eye. Despite the trauma, he came back to take his exams and managed to get firsts in all subjects.



This is the remote mountain village of Mafikeng (Place of Rocks) where Nohana Primary School is located (seen here just above the left foreground rock outcrop).  Laptops to Lesotho got its start here.


 
 
Click on any photo to view an enlarged version.


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