The project to create an affordable laptop for every child in developing countries which I wrote about earlier, story has recently spun out into its own non-profit called One Laptop per Child. They have made a lot of progress in moving forward this project for concept to reality and will soon be rolling out the… Continue reading One laptop per child

I am always interested in practical ways that most people can contribute to defeating global poverty. It seems like so often the ideas coming our way are so indirect … through one or more intermediary whom you give money to and then it passes down the chain and trust that it actually benefits the needy… Continue reading Share your computer to defeat malaria

This article was pointed out to me by my friend Harry Veihmeyer… The number of people with mobile phone subscriptions in Africa is projected to explode to 378M by 2011 increasing penetration levels to nearly 50% by then. From there its one small step to internet connectivity for the mass of Africans. Mindbranch’s African Mobile… Continue reading Africa mobile handset market explodes

Sevak Solutions is a non-profit which is researching practical means of using the latest technologies to improve the feasibility of delivering sustainable financial services to the rural poor … especially needed in places with lower population densities. Microfinance has mostly flourished in higher-density rural and urban environments and has struggled to develop in lower population… Continue reading Applying technology to defeat poverty

Very interesting idea for a $100 laptop which could be distributed widely to school children in developing countries is being championed by MIT Media Lab’s Nicholas Negroponte. “Power for the new systems will be provided through either conventional electric current, batteries or by a windup crank attached to the side of the notebooks, since many… Continue reading Laptops for the poor