I've sent a Letter of Inquiry to The Sidgmore Family Foundation and a Grantseekers Information Form to the Brinson Foundation, the first step in the grant application process for each foundation.
The Brinson Foundation appears to be a good fit for our project and will review our application next month, but they are curtailing their funding of new projects and only accept new applications when previously funded projects have ended.
BTW: If anyone wants to see any of the application materials I've sent out, to these or other organization, email me and I'll be happy to send you the information.
FYI: I found these two foundations through the GrantStation database.
- Janissa
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ketane Prepares for Upcoming Deployment
Here's an email from Delia I received today with details about how the community is actively involved and preparing for the deployment of laptops in November:
Hello 'Me Janissa
I have been working along side Ntate Matlabe, Natate Mapesh and the teachers at Nohana Primary with the computer project and they have been been busy preparing for your visit. Ntate Matlabe and Ntate Mapesh asked me to send you an email to update you on the goings on here in Ketane. I have also included some of the questions that have been asked in order to help the teachers better preapre for you and your brother's fast approaching visit.
1. Regarding Dr Kasongo: Ntate Matlabe said he has tried to get in contact with Dr. Kasongo both through e-mail and phone but with no success. Ntate Matlabe understands the importance of Dr. Kasongo's role in the project and so Ntate Matlabe has gone to Maseru this weekend to try and meet with Dr. Kasongo face to face and arrange a time for him to visit Nohana Primary in order to conduct a needs asessment. We are all hopeful that they have an opportunity to meet and Dr. Kasongo will soon be visiting Ketane.
2. While Ntate Matlabe is in Maseru he is also going to inform the Ministry of Education, Catholic Schools Secretary, and the Teachers Service Department of your upcoming visit and your assistance in Ketane so they will be prepared for your visit to Lesotho.
3. The teachers at Nohana Primary are all working very hard in prepartation for your visit as well. They are setting up a computer room and are working to ensure that it is secure and ready for your arrival and the arrival of the XO Laptops.
4. The teachers have also assumed the responsibility of informing the local police, community council, area chiefs, the PIH clinic and other influential community members for your visit and your need to meet with them once you have arrived.
5. The teachers have all worked together to answer the 49 "what-if" questions that you had presented to them. The questions have been answered and I can send them to you if you wish or they will be printed and ready for you when you arrive here. **It is important to note there was some confusion regarding a couple of the questions so it may be best, if you have the time, for me to send them to you for your review. Otherwise the questions can be sorted out when you have arrived.
6. In preparation for the new computers, a group of students have been chosen to learn the XO Laptops and serve as student leaders. There are a total of 24 student leaders from standard 5, 6 & 7 who will learn the XO Laptops.
7. The teachers have also scheduled computer lessons with Aaron and I to learn and enhance their basic computer skills so that those going to the Kliptown Training will be prepared.
8. Ntate Matlabe and Ntate Mapesh were also wondering how many teachers will be able to attend the Kliptown training based on your available resources? They would like to know so that they can select the most appropriate teachers to send to the training.
9. Teachers have been selected to prepare for you and your borther's arrival and they want to ensure your needs are met and you and your brother are both comfortable. In order to prepare they have a couple questions regarding what you will need over your visit.
-- Will you and Craig require two separate rooms or can you share a room?
-- Do you plan to cook for yourselves or will you need all meals prepared during the duration of your visit?
-- Do you have a preference staying on the Nohana Mission Campus (where the primary school is located) or in the local community village?
-- Since Ketane is very rural if there are any special accommodations or dietary needs you and your brother require? Please let Ntate Matlabe and Ntate Mapesh know so they can adequately prepare for your visit.
Thank you and we look forward to speaking with you again very soon!
Delia
Delia A. Helie (Boitumelo Nohana)
PCV Lesotho
Hello 'Me Janissa
I have been working along side Ntate Matlabe, Natate Mapesh and the teachers at Nohana Primary with the computer project and they have been been busy preparing for your visit. Ntate Matlabe and Ntate Mapesh asked me to send you an email to update you on the goings on here in Ketane. I have also included some of the questions that have been asked in order to help the teachers better preapre for you and your brother's fast approaching visit.
1. Regarding Dr Kasongo: Ntate Matlabe said he has tried to get in contact with Dr. Kasongo both through e-mail and phone but with no success. Ntate Matlabe understands the importance of Dr. Kasongo's role in the project and so Ntate Matlabe has gone to Maseru this weekend to try and meet with Dr. Kasongo face to face and arrange a time for him to visit Nohana Primary in order to conduct a needs asessment. We are all hopeful that they have an opportunity to meet and Dr. Kasongo will soon be visiting Ketane.
2. While Ntate Matlabe is in Maseru he is also going to inform the Ministry of Education, Catholic Schools Secretary, and the Teachers Service Department of your upcoming visit and your assistance in Ketane so they will be prepared for your visit to Lesotho.
3. The teachers at Nohana Primary are all working very hard in prepartation for your visit as well. They are setting up a computer room and are working to ensure that it is secure and ready for your arrival and the arrival of the XO Laptops.
4. The teachers have also assumed the responsibility of informing the local police, community council, area chiefs, the PIH clinic and other influential community members for your visit and your need to meet with them once you have arrived.
5. The teachers have all worked together to answer the 49 "what-if" questions that you had presented to them. The questions have been answered and I can send them to you if you wish or they will be printed and ready for you when you arrive here. **It is important to note there was some confusion regarding a couple of the questions so it may be best, if you have the time, for me to send them to you for your review. Otherwise the questions can be sorted out when you have arrived.
6. In preparation for the new computers, a group of students have been chosen to learn the XO Laptops and serve as student leaders. There are a total of 24 student leaders from standard 5, 6 & 7 who will learn the XO Laptops.
7. The teachers have also scheduled computer lessons with Aaron and I to learn and enhance their basic computer skills so that those going to the Kliptown Training will be prepared.
8. Ntate Matlabe and Ntate Mapesh were also wondering how many teachers will be able to attend the Kliptown training based on your available resources? They would like to know so that they can select the most appropriate teachers to send to the training.
9. Teachers have been selected to prepare for you and your borther's arrival and they want to ensure your needs are met and you and your brother are both comfortable. In order to prepare they have a couple questions regarding what you will need over your visit.
-- Will you and Craig require two separate rooms or can you share a room?
-- Do you plan to cook for yourselves or will you need all meals prepared during the duration of your visit?
-- Do you have a preference staying on the Nohana Mission Campus (where the primary school is located) or in the local community village?
-- Since Ketane is very rural if there are any special accommodations or dietary needs you and your brother require? Please let Ntate Matlabe and Ntate Mapesh know so they can adequately prepare for your visit.
Thank you and we look forward to speaking with you again very soon!
Delia
Delia A. Helie (Boitumelo Nohana)
PCV Lesotho
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Website Updates
I've updated the About Us section of the website. If you think there are other changes that need to be made, noticed some incorrect info, would like to be included, or would like me to add a picture of you, please email me or Janissa and I'll edit it as soon as I can!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Updates from August & early September
My apologies ... I am long overdue for updating this blog. It's been a busy time with lots of things happening. Here's a quick summary:
Team Members
Initial and/or follow-up contact was made with the following people and organizations. I'll write more about these in upcoming blogs.
Janissa needs to follow up on fundraising through:
Team Members
- Delia Helie, a new Peace Corps Volunteer in Ketane, has offered to help.
- Shaun Ilderton, our I.T. specialist from Durban, has resigned due to time conflicts. He will be returning the two XO laptops he has.
- Matlabe has started using his new email account. Please add matlabeteba@gmail.com to your address book.
- Janissa submitted a grant application to EiF (Engineering Information Foundation).
- We've received a number of personal donations, including several online contributions through JustGive.org and Facebook Causes.
- Janissa set up a Laptops to Lesotho table at a local rodeo and raised $60.
- We received a donated XO laptop (nonfunctioning, usable for spare parts) from an unknown person in California.
- Janissa is working on grant applications to Ananda Foundation and an anonymous foundation.
- Craig is working with teachers in the Cincinnati area on fundraising.
- Diane McWethy is working on fundraising through the Goshen Public Library.
- Maureen Powell and her husband carried eight of our XO laptops from the U.S. to Maseru. They had no trouble going through security and paid no customs fees. The laptops are currently being stored by Deepak Pullanikkatil of Peace Corps/Lesotho, awaiting pickup by someone from Ketane.
Initial and/or follow-up contact was made with the following people and organizations. I'll write more about these in upcoming blogs.
- Jane Hale, Family Literacy Lesotho, & Peter Maphatsoe, Family Art & Literacy Center
- Colleen Smith, MindSet
- Angel Knapp, GrantStation
- Andrew Steele & Bill Thompson, BLOOM Africa
- South African representative of a Swiss foundation which wishes to remain anonymous
- Jennifer, I Love My XO
- Nia Lewis & Adam Holt, One Laptop Per Child
- OLPC News Forum
- Adi Nochur, 1Sky.org
- Matlabe is still working on arrangements to have Dr Kasongo of MS STIC travel to Ketane for a needs assessment for our school network and internet connection (no dates set yet)
- Fortunate is still working on arrangements for teacher training at Kliptown Youth Project (no dates set yet)
- Janissa is making arrangements to travel to Lesotho in November and December (approx Nov 2-Dec 7). Her brother, Craig, will probably travel with her to help with training.
- Janissa has created a Google online calendar for the public to view L2L events and also a private Google calendar for team members to post their schedules on.
- Aaron is still trying to figure out why the USB modems don't work in Ketane.
- Mapesh & Matlabe are working out contract details and what-if scenarios
Janissa needs to follow up on fundraising through:
- Deepak Pullanikkatil, Maseru Rotary,
- Cindy, Soda Springs Library, and
- Shawnae Somsen, Soda Springs Public Schools.
- Jennifer Getz, eduWeavers (eSibonisweni)
- Indiana University OHOT (One Here One There)
- Seth Woodworth
- Cilliers du Preez
- Malizo Sinono, GCNS Communication
- Janissa has created a three-panel color brochure you can print double-sided on an 8½ x 11 sheet. The brochure was very well received at its first fundraising event, the Grays Lake rodeo. Contact Janissa if you want to receive a copy of the pdf for your own fundraising events.
- Janissa has also ordered business cards for herself. The minimum order size was 250, so she'll have lots of extras if you'd like to have some. They have the L2L contact info including the new website & email addresses.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
We have a NEW Website Address: LaptopsToLesotho.org
Sarah has switched our official home page to a much more memorable website URL: http://www.laptopstolesotho.org/. Same look, new address.
We also have new email addresses to go with it:
jbalcomb@laptopstolesotho.org
info@laptopstolesotho.org
Team members: If you would like an email address through our organization, please let Sarah or me know.
Thanks Sarah for all your hard work!
- Janissa
We also have new email addresses to go with it:
jbalcomb@laptopstolesotho.org
info@laptopstolesotho.org
Team members: If you would like an email address through our organization, please let Sarah or me know.
Thanks Sarah for all your hard work!
- Janissa
Friday, July 30, 2010
Microsoft STIC leader to visit Ketane
I spoke to Dr. Kasongo of the Microsoft School Technology Innovation Center (STIC) today. It sounds like he will be able to help us a great deal. In general, he said that Microsoft can help us with hardware, software, maintenance, and advice.
To begin with, he has offered to travel to Ketane to take a look at the school and surrounding area in order to determine what we will need in the way of network hardware and the best way for us to connect to the internet. After he has seen the site, he will write up a 'needs assessment' for us. The network and internet system is something I've been concerned about and haven't been able to get any answers about. His visit will be extremely helpful, and his assistance a great relief for me!
Dr. Kasongo will be contacting Mapesh to arrange the visit. He will be out of Lesotho August 10-30, so I'm not sure whether he will be able to make the visit between now and the 10th before he leaves or whether he'll want to do it after he gets back.
In the phone call, Dr. Kasongo also mentioned that his team has been working with the Lesotho College of Education to develop digital curriculum for science and English studies. I don't know yet what grades they have the materials prepared for, but we may be able to get some for use in Ketane.
It is still early, but I think that Dr. Kasongo and his team will be very good people to have helping us!
- Janissa
To begin with, he has offered to travel to Ketane to take a look at the school and surrounding area in order to determine what we will need in the way of network hardware and the best way for us to connect to the internet. After he has seen the site, he will write up a 'needs assessment' for us. The network and internet system is something I've been concerned about and haven't been able to get any answers about. His visit will be extremely helpful, and his assistance a great relief for me!
Dr. Kasongo will be contacting Mapesh to arrange the visit. He will be out of Lesotho August 10-30, so I'm not sure whether he will be able to make the visit between now and the 10th before he leaves or whether he'll want to do it after he gets back.
In the phone call, Dr. Kasongo also mentioned that his team has been working with the Lesotho College of Education to develop digital curriculum for science and English studies. I don't know yet what grades they have the materials prepared for, but we may be able to get some for use in Ketane.
It is still early, but I think that Dr. Kasongo and his team will be very good people to have helping us!
- Janissa
Thursday, July 29, 2010
OLPC XO Laptop User's Guide
There is a 254-page user's guide available for the XO laptop. I have a hard copy (book) of the guide, but it is also available in pdf form. It is very helpful, though mostly basic information. It does explain things like how to access a wi-fi connection to the internet. Unfortunately, most of the information about the actual "activities" (programs) on the XO is just a summary of what the activity does but no real information on how to use the activity itself.
If you would like a copy of this guide, you can read and/or download it yourself from the internet at http://en.flossmanuals.net/publish/PDF/g1g1_2.pdf. The file is 4.6 Mb.
- Janissa
If you would like a copy of this guide, you can read and/or download it yourself from the internet at http://en.flossmanuals.net/publish/PDF/g1g1_2.pdf. The file is 4.6 Mb.
- Janissa
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