Sorry I've Been Away

I apologize for not keeping this blog up-to-date.  In the latter half of 2011, I was overwhelmed with work demands from several other nonprofits I help.  I've taken steps to balance my workload and get help with posting L2L news to this blog. Watch for posts in the next few weeks covering things we've accomplished, problems we've encountered, and progress we've made in the past 6 months.

Janissa

Thank You Letter Received from the Lesotho Embassy

I received a very nice letter from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho in Washington DC today thanking me for my work in Lesotho:

"Dear Ms. Balcomb,

On behalf of the Government of Lesotho, we would like to convey our utmost gratitude and appreciation for your awesome contribution rendered to our country geared towards improving standard of living.

Suffice to mention, it is through reputable organizations like [your] contribution to Lesotho that economic growth, poverty reduction, good health and harmonious and strong bonds of relations between nations will be sustained.

We wish you all the best in your future plans, and undoubtedly, promise everylasting support and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Christopher Nyaka
Chargé d' Affaires"

It feels wonderful to have this recognition.

- Janissa

Another Request to Film

 From: Ross Frylinck
 Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011

 Hi,

 I am researching topics for a film on poverty for a series called "WHY
 POVERTY" - if successful we will get to make a 10 to 20 minute film
 that will be seen by 250 million people around the world.

You can check out our work here http://www.greenrenaissance.co.za

For info on the STEPS project: http://www.whypoverty.net/#home

One of our ideas is to document a roll-out of the OLPC program - we
are based in South Africa and I've seen from your website that you are
working on this in Lesotho

If you are interested can you please let me know so that we can start
a discussion

many thanks

Ross

Ross Frylinck

---

Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 21:26:59 -0500
To: Ross Frylinck

Hi Ross,

Thanks for your inquiry. I would be interested in discussing the
possibility of filming our project, but first you should know that we
are not an official OLPC project. Though we use their XO-1 laptops and
adhere to much of their philosophy, we are completely independent of
OLPC. We receive no funding and virtually no support from them.

If, in spite of that, you are still interested, please let me know.

Thanks,
Janissa

Janissa Balcomb, President
Laptops to Lesotho Inc.
www.laptopstolesotho.org

Meetings with Supporters in Ohio

I will be back in Ohio the second week of June to visit family, and I've been able to schedule meetings with several supporters of our project in Ohio while I'm there. 

 

On Wednesday, June 8th, I'm meeting Scott Rosenberg of Wittenberg University whose students will be carrying laptops to Maseru for us the following week.  And, on June 13th, I'll be meeting with William Thomas of BLOOM Africa, one of our largest funders.

 

I've tried to make contact with the OLPCinci repair center for a visit, but I haven't gotten a response yet.  It's hard to tell from the OLPC Wiki website, but I think the repair center may have moved out of the Cincinnati area.  I hope not.  It would be a real treat to visit.

 

- Janissa

Received Donated Spare Parts & Laptop from OLPC

I received a package today from Paul Fox of OLPC with a donated XO-1 laptop, four spare batteries, a serial adapter, and some spare parts.  Thank you, Paul!

 

Now it's time to get my tools out and get to work repairing laptops.

 

- Janissa

20 XO laptops on their way to Lesotho

Twenty more XO laptops, purchased with funds from a foundation which wishes to remain anonymous, began their journey to Nohana Primary School today.  The XOs will travel via USPS from Idaho to Ohio, shipping paid for by students at Pueblo West High School (Colorado).  In Ohio, Craig Balcomb, one of our volunteers, will deliver them to a group from the Springfield Rotary Club and Wittenberg University.  The group will be traveling to Lesotho later this month to do volunteer work, and they have graciously offered to carry the laptops over for us.  They will deliver them to Deepak Pullanikkatil of Maseru Rotary Club & a Peace Corps staff member.  He will hold them until they can be transported to Ketane.

Thanks to the chain of many helpful hands who are making this possible and saving us a lot of money!

- Janissa

fun email conversation leads to donation

Follow this fun conversation as I search for a cable to make repairs to some XO laptops and end up getting a donation of the cable, a few spare parts, and a laptop from OLPC ...

From: jbalcomb@laptopstolesotho.org
Date: Wed, May 11, 2011 12:23 pm
To: devel@lists.laptop.org

Hi, I'm the head of Laptops to Lesotho Inc.  We distribute refurbished G1G1 XO-1 laptops that we purchase on ebay to children in remote villages
in Lesotho, Africa.

I am fairly new to laptop repair, but I'm slowly learning how to refurbish the XOs.  We're preparing for our second deployment, and we've got 5 XO-1s
that won't boot.  I belive they are bricked.  I've worked through the troubleshooting guides, and I am at the point where I need a serial adapter to continue.

Can anyone tell me where I can get one?

---

 

From: Paul Fox

To: Janissa

Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 11:27 AM

i believe they're now being carried by ilovemyxo.com:
    http://twitter.com/#!/iLoveMyXO

paul
=---------------------
 paul fox (arlington, ma, where it's 53.1 degrees)

---

From:Janissa Balcomb

Date: Wed, May 11, 2011 3:03 pm

Thanks, Paul. I will give iLoveMyXO a try. Janissa

---

 

From: Paul Fox

Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 10:07 PM

hi janissa -- i wasn't sure we had enough to spare here at the office since i knew we were running low, or i would have offered this earlier -- but it seems we've put in a large order for more. i'd be happy to send you a serial adapter if you'd like. (gratis)

i'll need your shipping address if so.

have you written about your lesotho project anywhere i could read about it?

paul

---

From: Janissa Balcomb

Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 10:30 PM

Thanks! That would be wonderful! You can ship it to:

Janissa Balcomb

Laptops to Lesotho Inc.

55 Eagle Creek Rd

Wayan ID 83285-5003

The only place we have written information about our project is on our website (which is in serious need of updating) and our blog, which is sort of a hodge-podge of things as they happen and as I have time to post to it.

At the advice of several funders, I'm working with a few scholarly types to put together a journal article, but right now I have no idea when or where it will be published. I'll try to remember to let you know when it comes out.

 Janissa

---

 From: Paul Fox

Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 11:00 AM

hi janissa -- i'll get that in the mail. are there any other small spare parts you need that might fit in a small package? we're in the process of moving the OLPC offices, so this is a good time for spares.

paul

---

From: Janissa Balcomb

Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 11:44 AM

Right now, the only parts I could use are a game control button (the large one with the 4 arrows) and a set of covers for the antenna.

Other than that, keyboards, touchpads and batteries are always needed, but I can get those from iLoveMy XO.com.

 Thanks!

Janissa

---

 

From: Paul Fox

Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 1:41 PM

hi janissa --

okey doke. got you covered. i threw in a laptop too. hope you don't mind. the box should go out today or tomorrow. i even remembered your serial adapter, at the last minute. ;-)

paul

---

From: Janissa Balcomb

Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 2:43 PM

Like I'm going to say no, I don't want a free laptop!

Thanks,

Janissa

---

From: Paul Fox

Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 2:55 PM

 

that's the spirit! :-)

=---------------------
paul fox