I read your blog and am wondering if your project could be utlized on dvds for the poor in 3rd world countries?
 
I dont know if you've read this thread (http://forum.brillkids.com/coffee-corner-general-chat/educating-the-poor-my-idea/), but that is my current project for 3rd world countries, beginning in Africa.
They need education more desperately than we do, particularly as so many of these kids (orphans, street kids and such) suffer from sexual abuse and have very unhappy, joyless lives.  
Even those thought to be safe in schools often have a miserable time   (http://plan-international.org/about-plan/resources/news/kenya-teacher-sacking)  > and educational dvds full of life and colour and merriment would help bring some sort of joy into their lives.
 It would take their minds off their unhappy situations for a while, and possibly give them hope to dream beyond their situation.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/0REJ-lCGiKU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/0REJ-lCGiKU&rel=1</a>

there are a number of clips of this 3 year old conducting to classical music

Hey Viv, just read your message...my connection is fast, but sometimes youtube goes slow. I just stop the clip to give it time to catch up, then play it. That's what my kids told me they do. If two slow, I close other taps open. If still too slow, I give up!

Hi Viv...
Yes it would be the same online school I'm sure. The women I mention though are all Kenyans. I have hooked in with a charity there, but my vision is my vision, not theirs, so I cant force them to take it on. And as I intend to fundraise here in Australia, it would help if Australians can do the tax-deductable donations (which probably they cant through a US charity). Also, to meet the conditions of the charity now they have to specifically help orphans, and I am trying to help kids who have parents as well. For instance, streetkids usually have parents, but feel they cant live with them due to abuse. I mentioned Kenya and the charity on my latest blog post. There is a charity in my town helping Kenyans build wells, but I dont just want to build wells.
I mentioned the Ghana charity in the coffee corner thread "helping orphans at christmas'".
I will read up on the Signing time Ghana connection.
I have another idea to help a kenyan friend. He is in a church choir. The best or thereabouts in their diocese. They write their own gospel songs, in Swahili and some in English. I am trying to help him get them recorded, post them on youtube, then try to let certain people know of their clips. First I have to help him get a camcorder...
Anyone got any ideas how I can help there? Who might I send their clips to??

With the youtube clips...most poor people dont have access to a computer on the internet to watch these clips at their leisure. Which is a shame, as there are so many enjoyable educational clips on youtube and elsewhere, like WatchKnow. Wouldnt it be great if they could have access to WatchKNow and the Khan Academy? But currently, most third world people do not.  It's sad.

I chose the youtube clip idea as I have been long researching what is on there, and am impressed by what many people have uploaded. Just because their efforts arent professional I wouldnt disclude them. I like the idea of the dvds being RAW. I also like having different clips from different people on each dvd, so that drier clips are interspersed by catchy tunes etc, and multiple ages can be educated by one dvd.
I like that they are there, and with permission, can be downloaded. I could put together dvds already but am waiting for more contributors, for more variety per dvd.

Thanks, that would be very helpful!! I am looking online to find humanitarian grants to help with my project. Education is my focus, but providing shelter, safety, clean water, electricity, protection from mosquitoes and a library full of books and educational dvds is my dream.
I think the one centre that covers all of these components is the ideal solution. I read about Sal Khan..he won $2million in a google competition to fund his idea for education. Are they doing another competition? Anyone doing such a competition that anyone knows of? I'd love to enter, with my ideas all fully honed. My idea covers more than education, it covers quite a few categories that google were looking at. Guess I wasnt in the right place in the right time, hey! Actually, my ideas are quite new, and evolving into a more concrete plan with research into the needs in these areas.
That laptop sounds great. Unfortunately, getting things into the countries can be fraught with difficulties. Apparently customs can steal things (my family experience this alot getting things to Vanuatu), and they charge import fees and holding fees for those not paying the import fees. Corruption is rife. And theft is rife in the villages, as people cant lock up their homes. Hence, these education centres/boardingschool/orphanages would have to be lockable.

On the weekends the rooms can be used...one for a market stall/shop of wares they might have made at school, the other for a multi-denominational church service, as many Kenyans are christians and have to travel far by foot to attend a service. So they dont have to travel to sell wares, attend school, attend church, or collect water...it would be all there in one spot. One happy community. While they relax in the common room/dining area, they can watch educational dvds on TV. Just look in the video gallery here for some examples of fun, entertaining and educational clips. I'd fill them with music, nursery rhymes and colour. It would help lift their spirits and cheer them up from their horrible, sad circumstances. That's my vision. I want to see them learn to educate their kids from Birth, and have the tools to do this. Many dvds will be dedicated to the preschool age.

The people I am communicating with in Kisii and Ghana know English quite well, although everyone is a he or him, which is quite funny. I do get a bit confused by this, when speaking of their wives or daughters!!
I will aim to do a Swahili dvd, and include swahili on other English-speaking dvds for the "familiarity" factor..just for the Swahili speaking areas.
One lady who has a LOT of useful clips and is on board with the project suggested I look at Khan academy...I posted the site in the homeschooling section. I hadnt realised what you had posted though, Twinergy. I will have to look into that!! That sounds exciting.
I wish I could raise funds to build a school like a boarding school, where the parents I am friends with via the internet could live as house parents, and oversee the orphans living there in boys and girls dormitories, rather than living on their own. And the street kids who have chosen to live on the streets rather than be beaten by their stepdads or whatever the particular issue is, could also live there. It would be safer than the situation they are currently in, which has much danger of sexual exploitation. So it would be like an orphanage/foster care home and school in one. The school rooms could double as sleep rooms at night. Most people live in one room houses for an entire family, so this is a practical idea.
Thanks for the offer Hypatia. I dont need the dvds just yet, but if anyone wants to help get some Kisii orphans to school, please donate via the donate button at http://giftsoflife.ning.com/ (a registered non-profit charity in the US).
Just be aware there are more kids needing sponsors than those listed, as the info needs updating.

You'll have to fill us in (maybe make a clip) on how you do that, as that's what I plan to do, but am confused by the different options out there...and what each one is capable of.

[I would love to find organisations and individuals who would be willing to donate this sort of equipment to these people and establishments]

Hi all,
I have come up with this idea recently...wouldnt it be great if people who have made educational clips (such as Youtube members) would donate the use of those clips to assembling educational dvds for use in third world countries. They dont have to be A grade quality, just educational!

Obviously, those countries have limited access to TVs and dvd players, portable dvd players and laptops (and of course the electricity needed to play them), but I dont think that is a good reason not to provide them with educational dvds. For one thing, they are light to mail, unlike books. Obviously the dvds will have to go to places with these resources, such as schools, hospitals, health centres, orphanages and large churches but my hope is that these dvds will be copied and spread around. People can copy them and sell them to make a buck to feed their families, or give them away...whatever. I just want to infect the poor with good education. In particular, literacy.
I would love to find organisations and individuals who would be willing to donate this sort of equipment to these people and establishments.  
I am currently teaching people in Kisii Kenya and Adum Kumasi Ghana what they can do to educate their children and orphans who cant afford school. Some Kisii women have secured scholarships to an online Montessori course which is very generous of the course provider. She will work with them to show them how to run a bush Montessori centre as she has previously helped Kenyan women do this.

My idea would necessitate giving these people battery operated portable dvd players. They can gather orphans and unschooled kids around them, and they can watch dvds that will help them to learn to read, count and much more. They dont have to have any teaching knowledge to do this.
I also want to do dvds showing these adults HOW they can teach kids to read.
The upshot of it all is that adults can also become literate and more educated just by watching these kiddie dvds.

I intend to cover the curriculum..music, art, geography etc...
If anyone from Brillkids wants to contribute clips, let me know. Flash card clips, clips of your kids reading a home made book (with words visible on screen), counting to 100 etc..it will all help to make the clips educational and appealing.
I plan to do mixed age dvds, mixed subject dvds and then more specific dvds. Early learning will be a focus.

Let me know if you can help in any way. Clips cant break copyrights, of course!

http://www.khanacademy.org/ is full of free educational clips over extensive areas of curriculum

That's great. Each year's curriculum is worth hundreds of dollars, so the entire curriculum is worth many thousands of dollars. And, technically, you wouldnt need any other curriculum.

Hi, a Youtube member is having this competition.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/9_xOUZ0FqUg&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/9_xOUZ0FqUg&rel=1</a>


kids email their ideas of what small gift to put in Santa's Stocking....

SEND YOUR IDEAS TO [email protected]

These are photos from last years Christmas parties. The group photo is at Liberty orphanage. Just to get a bottle of Coke or Fanta each and a meal of chicken and rice, some toffee and one present was a big deal. Edward had a stereo with music set up, balloons and streamers, and they all had a dance.
The clothing presents picture was early last year, when they received boxes of clothing from Edward.

The children's charity organisations the Foundation helps are Liberty Orphanage Home, Needy Children of Gogoikrom, Abono Needy Children and Nothing Pass God Foundation.
They are very lean this year, and would appreciate something special for Christmas.
For instance, if anyone knows of someone going to Ghana, ask them to take some extra clothing in their luggage. Or any organisation sending a shipping container over..donate used goods. (Books, clothing, an old computer, shoes, manchester, kitchenware, toys etc).
You could always google those establishments and fund them directly..let them know how you heard about them.