200 more Region Four residents receive laptops – several persons with disabilities among beneficiaries

Georgetown, GINA, June 1 2013

Two hundred residents from a catchment area from Camp Street to Norton Street are now the proud owners of laptops, courtesy of the One Laptop per Family (OLPF) programme. The exercise was conducted today at the Church of Heavenly Light on Norton Street by a nine-member OLPF team, along with two trainers.

Residents waiting to collect their laptops at the Church of Heavenly Light, Norton St. while the OLPF staff process their documents

The distribution was welcomed by the residents, among them, Chairperson of Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities, Leon Walcott who said it was certainly a high point to receive the computer which will help to further improve the quality of his life.

“When you’re physically disabled, you have to rely on people for so many things and any little thing that can reduce that dependence is good for you,” Walcott said.

 

Several other disabled persons also received laptops including a nearby resident, a shut-in, whose computer was delivered to him by OLPF staffers who went to his home.

This happy young man holds on to his laptop

The exercise was a success according to Oversight Quality Assurance Manager OLPF, Ganand Chanderpaul. He said that despite the inclement weather, when they arrived at the location to begin the distribution effort, more than 20 persons were waiting. He added that more than 60 residents were exposed to preliminary basic introductory training before midday by the two designated trainers for the location and this would be ongoing.

Over 31,000 laptops have been distributed since the exercise commenced in 2011, to families in various communities countrywide.  The current phase which commenced on May 21, targets 6,000 beneficiaries from Region Four.

 

The OLPF programme was pioneered by former President Bharrat Jagdeo with the aim of equipping 90,000 families with laptops and to expand the use of Information Computer Technology (ICT) across the country.