Technology reaching out to remote Communities

It is not uncommon to see rural communities in most places miss out on basic services such as Health and Education but especially when it comes to Computers and Communications technologies. Whether it’s Internet access or training in basic computer literacy – here in Papua New Guinea or in remote parts of Australia – the folks from the bush generally do it “tuff”. Here’s a ripper of a story about students from a college on Elcho Island, 640km northeast of Darwin about to cross the great digital divide…

AustralianIT: Laptop ‘magic’ lures young back to school

CHILDREN from remote communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory are being introduced to the digital world with their very own laptops as part of an international program aimed at boosting school attendance.

Last week, students at Shepherdson College on Elcho Island, 640km northeast of Darwin, were among 400 children from three schools to receive a computer, thanks to not-for-profit organisation One Laptop per Child.

Principal Bryan Hughes said the program – originally designed to help children in developing countries – would instil responsibility.

“This is a bit of magic for kids, this is their own computer,” he told The Australian.

“I’m 53 years of age and still don’t have a computer … These kids at 10, 11 and 12 own a computer and the likelihood of them owning one outside of this program is very little.”

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Certainly a happy story from Australia but what is happening along similar lines here in Papua New Guinea?

A little bit of digging around and I was able to find references to two stories about giving locals easier and cheaper access to computer technology. The first story is about the “One Laptop per Child PNG” (OLPC) project which has been active in PNG for at least a couple of years and the second story is happening up in Madang at the Divine Word University (DWU) where Malum Nalu reports on a supermarket opening on campus to fund a One Laptop per Student initiative.