OLPC and BSP have kicked off the partnership with
a donation of 1000 revolutionary ‘XO’ laptops to Pacific children.
In its first act in the new role of Lead Private Sector Partner for OLPC
Oceania, BSP will donate the educational computers to children in three OLPC
project schools in the Solomon Islands and Fiji.
In coming months, BSP plans to provide more
support for children in Papua New Guinea as it spearheads private sector
support for OLPC.
OLPC’s Regional Director for Oceania, Mr Michael Hutak, thanked BSP for its generosity and welcomed the new partnership as a breakthrough for Pacific education.
“With BSP’s strong corporate leadership in the
Pacific, its large regional branch network and its strong commitment to
community participation, we look forward to a long and effective partnership, not
just to our ongoing mutual benefit but more importantly to the long-term
advancement of Pacific education.”
BSP Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Ian Clyne
said the new partnership was a perfect fit with the Bank’s corporate social
responsibility goals and would broaden the reach and impact of the BSP
Children’s Foundation, complementing programs such as BSP’s widely-praised BSP
School Kriket program.
“The partnership continues BSP’s commitment to
Pacific development and follows a recent Fiji$100,000 donation to emergency
relief efforts following the devastating floods in Fiji.
“As Lead Private Sector Partner, BSP will join
the regional initiative OLPC Oceania, which is a coalition of national
governments, educators, donor agencies, academia, the private sector, civil
society and community organizers, all working to assist Pacific Island
countries to establish the OLPC concept in schools.”
Mr Hutak said BSP will bring much-needed private
sector expertise and know-how to the Pacific initiative.
Currently there are OLPC projects running in 10 Pacific countries, with approximately 10,000 laptops being used by children in 50 schools. Across the globe OLPC has distributed more than 2.4 million laptops to poor children in 40 countries.
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