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Computer Hackers Helping Haiti School Children?

Here is a story you don't hear everyday... Computer hackers are famously known for breaching computer system but would you believe that HACKERS are helping Haiti? Here's the story...

More in haitian education, Computers, Haitian Technology News

Haiti Technology
Haiti Technology

A group of hackers in Charlotte North Carolina stumbled upon some junked laptops and hard drives a scrap metal and recycling center nearby, so the did something unexpected...

  • They got together,
  • rebuilt the hardware,
  • fixed the power supplies by hand,
  • erased the hard drives,
  • installed the Ubuntu operating system in those laptops,
  • and donated them to a public grade school in Barbancourt, Haiti.

First of all... I didn't even know there was a town in Haiti called "Barbancourt"

So how did all of this come about?

According to CharlotObserver.com, a blogger named Bill Fehr visited the rural community of Barbancourt Haiti, a town about 2 hours from Port-au-Prince, and toured its grade school, a school attended by more than 200 kids...

Before leaving, Fehr asked the school's principal what he could bring on his next visit that might help the children.

15 LAPTOPS... The principal replied!

Well... you already know the rest of the story and as they say...

One man's trash is another man's treasure!

Ryan Stachurski, Treasurer of Hackerspace Charlotte says..

"We've repurposed this trash and put it into use... If you have children growing up without technology, that is an essential part of life in this day and age, they're going to have a very significant disadvantage..."

Got an old laptop that you are using as a paperweight or a door stopper?

Put it to some good use...

Hackerspace Charlotte is looking for outdated or broken laptops that can be repaired and sent to school children who have little or no access to technology.

Leave a message at www.hackerspacecharlotte.org to make a donation.

This an interesting story don't you think?

Reply with your comments.

Write a comment  (8)

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All Comments (8)

Ryan Stachurski says...

Thanks for the kind words! This is really Bill Fehr's project: Laptop Roundup for the Real. Hackerspace Charlotte just provided the means to help maximize it. To help ease concerns, we simply installed a clean, current version of Ubuntu, an excellent free operating system.

The first small batches have already been delivered.

The link to Bill's blog was published incorrectly - it's actually whereonearthisbill.blogspot.com.

Alissa, I'd be great to talk about your

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Kainoa Thomas Spheeris says...

You guys know that this is the person that lost both my parents in Florida and met Lutza Noel that still owes me ten thousand dollars after saving her home and vehicle in Florida! I have suffered long enough in Maui, Hawaii and am taking severe legal actions against her, this will damage her reputation as well possibe jail time, I've given her ample time and her mother in Haiti, helped a little, at this point we have her loation and info to serve legal papers, even upon claiming bankrupcy she will also be made to pay legal court fees and other accfruid damages, I have been devasted and can no longer wait she has not even called, she is not denying the debt, I even got guarantees from her Pastor(Carlos Malone) Baptist church in South

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Rev. Calixte Guerrier says...

This is over perfect.

Haiti children should
raise with computer from the beginning of time, but God always know the right time to send blessings to his childred.

So, I give
praise to the Lord and credit to the Carolina team..

Good

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Kiki says...

As long as they don't fill the laptop with bad things and bring them to the kids. We maybe poor in Haiti but we don't have "dirty minds", if you could see what I meant.

Anyway, thanks for the

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Cj says...

Great work Wood! continue fouye...Thanks to all of you who volunteer to the great cause of humanity...

God's blessing upon

Reply  ... More

Harold Fl. says...

That is a good Idea I apreciated that, I think it is good for the children, God bless

Reply  ... More

Barbara Murphy-bridge says...

WHAT AN INSPIRING STORY; BILL FEHR AND FRIENDS GIVE ONE HOPE !!!
THANKS GUYS AND GALS FOR YOUR RESOURCEFULNESS AND KIND

Reply  ... More

Alissa says...

What an awesome project! When will the laptops be delivered?

I'm an anthropologist who volunteered after the earthquake at Barbancourt and will be returning this summer, the rural area is an amazing and lovely hamlet but its so tiny you can't even find it on google maps! Literally, you can walk from one end to the other.

I'd love to be kept updated! Awesome

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