I have a profound respect for charities with great vision and execution. However, I possess a monstrous disdain for those that manipulate the disadvantaged, use them as a platform to further their own personal goals, and take for granted, or even abuse their patrons.
When I heard about One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), I immediately stepped-up and supported it. I immediately wrote about and promoted the campaign to encourage the world to buy one of their computers, so that a like computer could be donated to a child or classroom in a third world country.
In fact, the Internet and its denizen of bloggers have helped turn this charity into a massive darling that has received heaps of wonderful, international praise. I encouraged friends, colleagues and readers to support it, and instructed my company, Prescient Digital Media, to spend thousands of dollars on the program.
In fact, we were a relatively early contributor during the Christmas campaign of 2007. At the time, OLPC promised the delivery of their computers before Christmas. Four months later, and five months after they took our money, no computers have been delivered.
Now as far as I’m concerned, OLPC does not owe me a thanks, special notes or consideration, or promises about making the world better. In fact, I don’t care if the computers are cheap pieces of crap. Some have been very vocal about the computer’s lack of performance and power (a group of patrons that have had the good fortune to actually see and use one of the mystical laptops).
I could give a damn. I don’t need a high-powered laptop, neither do my children, nor do most others in the Western world. These whiners deserve our scorn for the nobility of such a fantastic intention as to build a low-cost computer that so aims to improve the quality of life for third world children is far above and beyond the trifling and sniveling of spoiled, self-consumed computer addicts.
My praise for OLPC ends here. OLPC has promised millions of computers to the third world, and has failed miserably. If you’re to use the disadvantaged children of the third world as a platform, a platform that has so richly bolstered the fortunes and reputations of OLPC and its founders, you better dam well deliver on the promises made. It is grossly unacceptable for any charity to use children to promote the collection of funds, and to break the promises based on the disadvantaged use to promote the campaign. I don’t care who donated $400 for a computer for third-world children, that computer must be delivered as promised.
OLPC has failed to deliver computers, broken their promises, and in my opinion, violated a sacred trust. For when you use poor children as a subject matter for raising funds, there is ZERO MARGIN FOR ERROR.
For all of my adult life, I have been a supporter of UNICEF. My wife and I have sponsored programs and individual children through World Vision and UNICEF for as long as I can remember. I put these charities, and the individuals that make them work, above everyone else – in my opinion, none can compare nor come close to those noble souls that dedicate their time, and often their lives, to improving the lives of those that deserve the most care.
While the computers have not been delivered, I continue to clutch to a sliver of faith that OLPC will find some competence and deliver sometime soon. For this reason, I have not demanded the thousands of dollars we have spent, despite the pathetic communications (or lack thereof) and assurances OLPC. Yes, we’re told that OLPC is fixing the problems… the computers are already made, there are warehouse problems, blah, blah, blah. We’ve been given the same vague and ambiguous reassurances for months – months. My blind faith reassures me… for now.
In the meantime, the founders and chiefs at OLPC have received international praise, kudos and promotion, and are fleeing with the good PR in their pockets. Co-founder and former technology officer, Mary Lou Jepson, left to start her own company. All that goodwill and PR will no doubt be very profitable! Co-founder and Chairman Nicholas Negroponte is looking to distance himself too and has begun a search for a CEO. Ah well, the charity has proven to be a very profitable PR machine, but since it’s not delivering on those promises, he better get out while the going is good.
Performance issues are acceptable. Lack of communications and gratitude are expected. Delays in production and delivery are expected and acceptable. No delivery, and broken promises made on the backs of third-world children are not acceptable.
Shame on you, OLPC. Shame on you, Nicholas Negroponte.
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If you disagree, feel free to phone me directly at 416.986.2226 but I will not respond to anonymous posts or flame mail.
