Latin America Vignette

Latin American Vignettes

BOLIVIA: Fundación Cultural Quipus is a private, Bolivian, not-for-profit organization created in 1985 by a group of prestigious Bolivian artists, intellectuals and businesspeople. Its mission is to promote the revaluation of Bolivian cultures and stimulate the collective self-valuation of a population with the capacity to resolve its problems and elevate its quality of life through programs and projects involving museums, education, technology, sanitation, water, handicrafts, and economic activities. Fundación Cultural Quipus is working with Plan International and the Municipality of Guaqui to connect to the Internet the following: 10 schools and 2,000 students in Guaqui, the new Cultural, Ecological, Tourism, Handicraft, and Railroad Complex on the shores of Lake Titicaca that Quipus is developing, as well as a number of community telecenters together with Plan International in Bolivian communities where Plan is working. Plan International will provide training and educational content. The Canadian Government is providing partial funding for this project. Members of Rotary International Clubs around Ottawa and in Bolivia are involved. Bolivia has an average annual income of $2,600 per person. Only about 3% of people use the Internet in Bolivia. (Implementation Plan ) This is the fourth WCE shipment to the various projects, museums, and initiatives of Quipus. Fundación Cultural Quipus Presidente: Peter McFarren. Jana Sedivy of WCE Ottawa has been seeking individuals, groups, Rotary clubs, and companies to contribute toward the last 1/3 ($C14,000 Canadian) needed to deliver 400 computers inland to Guaqui. Sponsor part of all of this container now . ~ Please designate for: Bolivia.

In the Sucre Children's Museum in Bolivia

ECUADOR: La Cooperación y Asesoría para el Desarrollo de la Agroempresa (COADSA) working with the Municipalidad of El Empalme, the Ministry of Education, and Quevedo University to connect 15,000 students in 70 rural communities. Students from the university will assist with the installation and maintenance of the computers. Parents will contribute to the costs of getting and maintaining the computers. A Peace Corps Volunteer assisted this nonprofit in the design of the project. WCE has previously shipped 1,330 computer sets to Ecuador, most to projects assisted by 25 Peace Corps Volunteers who witnessed the amazing motivation of parents: in spite of having an income of $3-7 per day, the rural parents raised necessary funds by raffling off chickens to help bring new opportunities to their children. Ecuador has an average annual income of $3,700 per person and about 5% of people use the Internet in Ecuador. (See Their Implementation Plan ) COADSA Consultora: Cesar Ricardo Alonzo. WCE is seeking a volunteer to gather individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for the last 1/3 (US$10,000) needed to deliver 400 computers to the port of Guayaquil. Please click here to volunteer to help us find Sponsors. Sponsor part or all of this container now . ~ Please designate for: Ecuador-El Empalme.

1st Lady of Ecuador Receiving 6th Shipment

ECUADOR: E.dúcate seeks 200 Pentium sets to connect 20 local schools with 5,000 students using the education program that they are developing under their World Bank grant. They are working with the Guayaquil Rotary Club. Some of the computers in this container may go to other WCE Partners in Ecuador. (See their Implementation Plan ). Contact: Nathalie Cely, Presidente Ejecutivo. WCE has previously shipped 1,330 computer sets to Ecuador. While some have gone to E.ducate before, most have gone to projects assisted by 25 Peace Corps Volunteers who witnessed the amazing motivation of parents: in spite of having an income of $3-7 per day, the rural parents raised necessary funds by raffling off chickens to help bring new opportunities to their children. Ecuador has an average annual income of $3,700 per person and about 5% of people use the Internet in Ecuador. WCE volunteer Tom Graham in Washington DC is seeking individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for the last 1/3 (US$5,300) needed to deliver 200 computers to the port of Guayaquil. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Ecuador-E.ducate.

EL SALVADOR: 26 Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps Country Office have encouraged the nonprofit organizations and schools that they are assisting in many areas of El Salvador to work together to share in the costs, work, and computers of a shared container of 420 computers to connect 26 local schools in 26 rural villages. They are working with businesses in their villages, local Rotary Clubs, YES El Salvador, and with Instituto Tecnológico Centroamericano (ITCA). Students from the ITCA will assist the Peace Corps volunteers in guiding the installation and in some areas the ongoing maintenance of the computers. Parents/Community organizations will contribute one-third of the costs of getting the computers and then they and their schools and local businesses and government will be responsible for maintaining and connecting their computers. The role of the Peace Corps Volunteers has been to secure local funding, facilitate teacher training in educational programs, and ensure systems are used to their full potential. Asociación Jovenes Empresarios in El Salvador has offered their support with technology. WCE has previously shipped 665 computers to El Salvador to La Asociación para el Desarrollo Humano (ADHU). El Salvador has average annual income of $2,350 per capita and only about 9% of people use the Internet in El Salvador. (Implementation Plan ) PCV Lead Contact: Jared Bell. The Ministry of Education is the consignee. Thomas Graham and Carmen Chapin of WCE DC/Baltimore working with Jack O'Donnell of WCE Chicago succeeded in securing individual, group, Rotary Club, and corporate Sponsors for $6,000 from Phoenix Shipping and the Washington Post needed to deliver these 400 computers to the port of Acajutla. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: El Salvador.

HAITI: Centre de Promotion des Techniques Informatiques to help connect 8 schools with 5,230 students in Haiti to the Internet. They may have other WCE Partners in Haiti receive 50 of the computers. The average annual per person income in Haiti is $1,600 per year and 6% are currently Internet users. (Implementation Plan ) Contact: Lionel Jean, President du Conseil. WCE is currently looking for a volunteer to seek groups, Rotary Clubs, individuals, and companies to Sponsor the last 1/3 (US$5,000) needed to source, test, pack, and ship these 200 computers to Port-au-Prince. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Haiti.

HONDURAS: 200 computers to connect 20 Schools with 5,000 students assisted by the Northern New England Rotary District. Contact: Jenn Kovolski. WCE is currently looking for a volunteer to seek groups, Rotary Clubs, individuals, and companies to Sponsor for the last 1/3 (US$5,000) needed to source, test, pack, and ship these 200 computers to Puerto Cortes. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Honduras.

MEXICO: Hidalgo Kiosks seeks 600+ Power Mac computer sets to refurbish and place in Kiosks around Hidalgo to help connect 500 youth in 20 centres and schools. The average annual per person income in Mexico is $10,100 per year and 16% are currently Internet users. (Implementation Plan) Contact: Manuel Chavez. WCE Mac Manager Will Loving is assisting. WCE is currently looking for a volunteer to seek groups, Rotary Clubs, individuals, and companies to Sponsor for the last 1/3 (US$12,000) needed to source, test, pack, and ship these 600 computers to Hidalgo. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Mexico.

NICARAGUA: Red de Desarrollo Sostenible de Nicaragua for 400 computers to connect 20 schools with 8,000 youth. and WCE Chicago team. Red contact: Jose Ignacio Lopez. The average annual per person income in Nicaragua is $2,800 per year and 2% are currently Internet users. WCE Volunteer Jack O'Donnell of WCE Chicago and Javier Arguello in Santiago are seeking Sponsors for the last $10,000 needed to source, test, and pack the 400 computers to the port of Bluefields. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Nicaragua

PARAGUAY: The Ministry of Education has set the bold objective of connecting 3,000 of their 10,000 schools over the next three years. Currently about 300 schools have computers and are connected to the Internet. They are working with businesses in Paraguay, the Rotary, and YES. As a pilot shipment, WCE will be shipping 200 computers in a shared container for the Association Paraguaya de Universidades Privadas (APUP), the Asociation Cultural Paraguayo-Britanica, and Colegio Las Almenas y Campo Alto. Students from the universities will assist with the installation and maintenance of the computers. Some Peace Corps Volunteers will also assist in the villages where they are stationed. Parents will contribute one-third of the costs of getting the computers and then they and their schools and local businesses and government will be responsible for maintaining and connecting their computers. This will be the first WCE shipment to Paraguay. Paraguay has average income of $4,800 per person and only about 2% of people use the Internet in Paraguay. (Implementation Plan) APUP Presidente: Dr. Benjamin Fernandez Bogado. WCE Volunteers Max Senges of WCE Barcelona and Sidney Brien of WCE Miami (sister-city with Asunción) are seeking Sponsors for the last $6,000 needed to source, test, pack, and ship the 200 computers to the port of Rosario, Argentina and then up the river Paraguay to the port in Asunción. Sponsor part or all of this container now. ~ Please designate for: Paraguay

To volunteer to help us seek corporate or group Sponsors

READY IN LATIN AMERICA FOR SHIPMENTS IN 2006 !