One laptop, a lot of hope.

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) scheme is perhaps one of the most promising ones that I’ve come across in a very long time. The newly developed scheme allows children in poverty stricken, third world nations access to a laptop, and undoubtedly a whole new world.

The digital divide can no longer be ignored. It is a troubling and far-reaching problem that continues to divide the world into those who have access to the internet and those who don’t. The biggest problem that the digital divide brings with it, is that it leads to what is commonly known as the knowledge divide. The knowledge divide essentially means that citizens of third world nations (amounting to over 50% of the worlds citizens) don’t have access to a significant amount information and are thus at a high disadvantage. This lack of knowledge is what holds back nations from developing.

Nicholas Negroponte knows this all too well.

While some might argue that children in third world nations need food and water and efforts should be channelled into providing them with conventional notions of “bare essentials”, I am of the view that technology is very much a basic necessity. While that’s not to say that food, water and clothing aren’t absolutely vital for their survival and growth, so is technology. The two are not mutual exclusive.

Technology empowers. This places it in a position of power and absolute importance. Unless these children are able to empower and educate themselves and see the world outside of their four walls, they will forever be fighting to rise above their poverty.

The laptops allow children a chance to understand the world as truly global citizens; to empower themselves through knowledge and in turn transform the world - even when the real world around them sometimes looks seemingly bleak.

These children are tomorrow's hope for these nations. The laptops and the access to the internet that comes with it will allow these children a chance opportunity to rewrite and reshape destiny – both for themselves and their countries.