Computers for a Peruvian school

I am coming towards the end of my time volunteering in Lima. I want to leave something a little more permanent behind, so I planning to buy some computers for the school. As I mentioned in a earlier blog entry, they have computing lessons, but since there are no computers the teachers are limited to showing them pictures and teaching them what the different parts of a computer do. In the modern world I think it is hard to overestimate the importance of learning computing skills, so access to a computer is important.

Over the last few months they have been getting a building ready for the computers, with electricity and security. The ministry of education say that once the school has at least 6 computers that meet a minimum standard; they will provide an IT teacher and help with an Internet connection. On Saturday, they did an inventory of some computers that had been donated to find that those that did work were very old and well below the required standard. But they have monitors and keyboards that work.

Yesterday, I went with some of the teachers to get quotes for second hand computers that meet the required standard. We got a quote for $120 per computer (spec below), which given the dollar to pound exchange rate at the moment doesn't seem like much to us - only £63.

There is a little bit of politics between the school and my volunteer program, which I have been unavoidably drawn into in trying to make this happen. Such are the problems of developing countries - corruption is the biggest inhibitor to growth. But I don't want to become so cynical as not to do anything. The best people to work with are the elected representatives of the parent's association - as they truly have the children's interests at heart.

So I will personally preside over the purchase of the computers, and return to the school later in August to see them in use, and get pictures for you all. As such, I want to place the order soon so that I can see the computers installed before I leave at the start of July. I will also ask subsequent volunteers to report back to me on how the computers are being used.

I would like to start by buying the 6 computers required. If I end up with more money than for this, I will purchase more computers once I have seen the first 6 in use by the kids in lessons. I also may try and set up a maintenance contract for someone to come in once a month or so to service the computers.

So over to you, please donate if you would like to. If you are minded to do so, please do it now rather than later! Let me by email know how many computers you would like to give (fractions are allowed). Or if you would like to make a small monthly commitment for the maintenance contract, that would be useful too.

Thanks for any help you can give,

FC

Tech Spec
PIII 1Ghz, 256Mb Ram, 20Gb HD, CD writer, Floppy, Network and Sound Cards, XP