Negroponte talks about philanthropy

As we reported a few days ago, Nicholas Negroponte is heading to Miami for the Philanthropy Forum. In an interview with the Miami Herald, he answered some interesting questions about himself and the OLPC foundation.

Some interesting questions...

Q. How many have you delivered so far?

A. In round but quite accurate numbers: 500,000 have been ordered, half of those built, half of those arrived, and half of those in the hands of kids today. We are just starting.

...

Q. There are American kids who don't have laptops. Shouldn't they get one first?

A. Not really. We spend $10,000 per year per child in the U.S.A. on primary education. Whether a laptop costs $200, $300 or $400 is really incidental to education spending. In fact, even within developing countries, we go to the remote and rural kids first.

He reiterates his position on some of the questions people commonly ask. Shouldn't children receive food first before laptops? Why don't Americans receive the laptops first?

These questions bother me. I feel I must step out of my usual reporting and give my opinion on this matter.

I believe food before laptops for children is a false choice. Children need both. Food is for the body. Education is food for the mind. A laptop is an instrument to knowledge. It engages thought and connects people. The OLPC foundation is not a group that gives away food. That is beyond the scope of the project. Governments and education ministries can decide whether or not to participate. They decide how to allocate their funds. The OLPC foundation gives governments a new way to improve education for poor children.

Americans can make good use of the laptops, undoubtedly. But as someone who comes from a 3rd world country whose family grew up in a poor farm, I believe the need is significantly greater in 3rd world countries. The XO laptop is a quality-of-life magnifier. It plays music, takes photos, communicates, plays games and informs. I remember wondering as a child how I would try to find ways to have fun and play. We had few toys, a single TV, no computers, no mp3 players, no Xbox. When it came to learning, it meant reading a boring book and attending class. I am fortunate that my father gave me a computer when I was six years old, a TI99 and a TRS-80 Color Computer 2. I taught myself BASIC for fun. The XO is leaps and bounds more capable than the microcomputers of the 1980s. Those formative years while learning the computer helped me become the person I am today. I don't believe the XO will turn all children into programmers. But there are many aspects that are just as beneficial.

What do you believe the XO does for children? Is food before laptops a valid question?