any help will be appreciated.

[sinaisix]

Ok, so in my bid to get the young involved in FOSS in my local community, I intend setting up a small community ICT center starting out with 5 desktop computers running Ubuntu exclusively. I hope to create awareness about FOSS among the young here since the future of FOSS will be in jeopardy when all the new generation knows is MS Windows. Any help would be much appreciated.

[calrogman]

And, how are we meant to help?

[sinaisix]

And, how are we meant to help?
In case you have engaged in such a project before, you could share some experience. Also you may have some old PCs which may be gathering dust that you are not using, it could also go a long way to boost my project.

[stwschool]

So aside from trying to teach kids who may not care about much other than playstations that linux is better than windows what are your objectives? Do you have goals to teach the kids programming, networking, or something else? How does your project help people in your area?

[sinaisix]

So aside from trying to teach kids who may not care about much other than playstations that linux is better than windows what are your objectives? Do you have goals to teach the kids programming, networking, or something else? How does your project help people in your area?
Well the kids here dont even have the luxury of play stations. I intend starting them with the basics of computer, teach them how to use Open Office suite, how to use the internet, basic things about computers that they don't have the opportunity otherwise of knowing.

[stwschool]

Where are you? What's the background on these kids?

[sinaisix]

Where are you? What's the background on these kids?
I am in Ghana, and these are kids who are best described as street children and orphans who only have the very basic of education in my society and nothing else. I believe in given them an opportunity in life and that's my small way of helping.

[stwschool]

Ah ok I'd misread things a little then. Tbh I'm teaching in Thailand at the moment, and the education system here is poor. Kids we've had a few years are in pretty good shape, but when they come to us from government schools there's just nothing there. It takes a lot of doing to get them to a level where they can think for themselves.

At first I had ideas about teaching them all sorts of high-end computing stuff, and for a few I could manage that, but I had to tone down my expectations because most just didn't have the background for it (or the English). With that in mind I'd suggest that your aims may well be misplaced.

Computing skills will do them no good without getting other basics in place first such as making sure that their reading, writing and maths are rock solid. I'd use the computers as a tool to help that, rather than focusing on specific computing skills. At that point it then comes down to which software will help achieve that, rather than dogmatically insisting on FOSS. If software on windows will help them more, use that. If Linux software is better use that. But focus on the kids, not on some desire to promote Open Source.

Remember, many of Africa's problems can be attributed to groups coming in and trying to 'convert' the locals, and their help was conditional on that basis (the catholic church being very guilty here). Needless to say the end results have tended not to be positive.

So, my advice? Find out what skills they really need, it probably won't be computers. Then work out how you can help them. Don't create a project and fit the people around it, fit the project around the people instead.

[sinaisix]

Ah ok I'd misread things a little then. Tbh I'm teaching in Thailand at the moment, and the education system here is poor. Kids we've had a few years are in pretty good shape, but when they come to us from government schools there's just nothing there. It takes a lot of doing to get them to a level where they can think for themselves.

At first I had ideas about teaching them all sorts of high-end computing stuff, and for a few I could manage that, but I had to tone down my expectations because most just didn't have the background for it (or the English). With that in mind I'd suggest that your aims may well be misplaced.

Computing skills will do them no good without getting other basics in place first such as making sure that their reading, writing and maths are rock solid. I'd use the computers as a tool to help that, rather than focusing on specific computing skills. At that point it then comes down to which software will help achieve that, rather than dogmatically insisting on FOSS. If software on windows will help them more, use that. If Linux software is better use that. But focus on the kids, not on some desire to promote Open Source.

Remember, many of Africa's problems can be attributed to groups coming in and trying to 'convert' the locals, and their help was conditional on that basis (the catholic church being very guilty here). Needless to say the end results have tended not to be positive.

So, my advice? Find out what skills they really need, it probably won't be computers. Then work out how you can help them. Don't create a project and fit the people around it, fit the project around the people instead.
Oh man, thanks a million for your insight. Really eye opening. Thanks a million. Will do some small in depth analysis of the situation. Thanks. A cup of ubuntu coffee for u.

[stwschool]

No worries, good luck with it and fingers crossed it goes well.

[sinaisix]

No worries, good luck with it and fingers crossed it goes well.
thanks. will keep u updated. hope we can be friends.

[bodhi.zazen]

Getting involved is easy. Identify a project and join a mailing list.