In summary, the project's aim is to bring a shipment of 60 computers to Bolivia, to be used in the creation of computer labs in several different locations there. [At the time of the last update] in late December, our plan was to assemble the computers in late January and ship immediately after that. The first part of that was successful: at Free Geek, a community technology center in Portland, Oregon, we gathered over a dozen volunteers in the course of 2 weekends who built and configured 60 computers. Photos from these work parties can be seen at http://steev.hise.org/photos/fg-bolivia/ and excellent local TV coverage of the project happened as well and can be viewed online at http://political.detritus.net/vid/koin-fg-bol.mov

Unfortunately, the actual shipping of the computers has been delayed, for 2 reasons: first, the shipping company we had planned to work with suddenly decided they could not do the job. Second, we also realized that there was still a considerable amount of work to do on the customs paperwork. We scrambled to find a different shipping broker, but all the quotes that we obtained were higher, and in some cases much higher, than what we had raised for the project. Two months later, the customs work has been done, and the shipper we finally decided on is one we're confident of. We have also just recieved a grant of $1000 to help pay for the shipping, from the Global South Fund, which is excellent news. However, to be able to ship we do still need to raise more funds, approximately $500. We're confident that with your help, we can raise this amount and ship at the end of March, but we do need your help!

Please donate to help us see this project through to its completion after 16 months of work. Any amount - $100, $50, $25, $10, whatever, will be appreciated, and it's easy to give:
to donate online, go to this web page and click the "donate" button. There's also more information about the project there
If you'd like to make a tax-deductable contribution with a check, you can do so through Free Geek. Make it payable to Free Geek and be sure you write "For Bolivia Project" on the check, and send to:

FREE GEEK
Community Technology Center
1731 SE 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214

This shipment could not come at a better time, as a look at events in the last 2 weeks in Bolivia will show. The social movements there continue to fight against their government's oppressive and unfair policies that favor transnational oil companies over the citizens, and President Carlos Mesa has thrown the country into more uncertainty with his pretend "resignation" from office and other maneuvering. Now more than ever, the Bolivian people need our help. Getting these computer labs set up will give communities there a louder voice, so they're able to shout news of their struggles out to each other and the rest of the world, past the oppressive drone of the conservative corporate media there.

So, please, take part in this project by putting one last push into it - donate today. And please forward this widely, to anyone else who you think can help.

Thanks so much,

Steev Hise
Coordinator, Computers for Bolivia Project
http://villaingenio.org/computers/donate.html

[If you're interested in receiving email updates about this project, you can sign up for the Proyecto-computadora mailing list at http://villaingenio.org/mailman/listinfo/proyecto-computadora]

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