Laptop Round Up for the Real

Barbancourt Public School as seen by me in October. 

Laptop Drive, Day 1.

Down in Haiti, in a small town called Barbancourt that I visited two months ago there is a schoolhouse with a need that I feel compelled to try and fill.  Either new or used LAPTOP Computers are in great demand at the primary and middle school level across the Haitian Nation.  While traveling with Pastor Lyonel, I listened as he expressed to me the specific needs at the primary school in Barbancourt of which he is responsible for. One thing stood out, the school has no computers for the children to learn with.  Without even realizing it, through me he is asking for a donation of 15 Laptops for a new computer class that will be taught to the children you see above in groups of 30.  These computers will not be used to surf the Internet, so they do not have to be the latest, greatest or fastest new machines available.

The idea is that the computers will be loaded with education software that will help teach the children language skills, mathematics and science.  Plus, as an added bonus this new mobile computer lab will help the children acquire basic computer skills often taken for granted in the modern western world.  Pastor Lyonel explained how the addition of 15 Laptops creating this new computer lab in Barbancourt would change the future of each child that participates in the class.  "Getting an equal start is very important to the lives of these children", Lyonel told me.

With that said, I know that the problems in Haiti will not be solved by me or anyone else for a long time to come.  But, I have been taught by some smart folks that for the Crisis Caravan to succeed, real solutions must take place.  We cannot get caught up in meetings, over planning and the creep of the corporate agenda designed to fear people into worrying about liability so much that nothing gets done.  There is no need to try and solve the greater problems on the large scale if some of the smaller basic needs cannot be taken care of.

My approach with this idea is to provide a small, on the ground, nuts and bolts answer to one problem facing the beautiful people of Barbancourt.  If you have the resources, I ask that you donate a new or used Laptop Computer to the school in Barbancourt through Pastor Lyonel's Haiti Mission in Port Au Prince.

No nay saying, here's how this will work:

-I will be running this Laptop Round Up for the Real for the next month.  The closing day for this computer drive will be infinitely forward into the future.

-Contact me immediately at whereonearthisbill@gmail.com with any donations you may have and I will explain all of the logistical details at that time.

- Pastor Lyonel is the man, he is very connected and he services his fellow Haitians with assurance and truth.  The Pastor is the Vice President of the Haiti Mission, a non-profit headquartered in PAP.  That means your donation can be written off for tax purposes. Merry Christmas!

-Trust