Not surprisingly, the Global Text Project attracts many who are interested in helping their fellow global citizens. On Friday, I had the opportunity to meet Solomon Negash, one of the many fine people involved in the Global Text Project. After some 20 years in industry, Solomon is now an assistant professor in the Computer Science and Information Systems department at Kennesaw State University, which is 32 kms (20 miles) north of Atlanta.
Ethiopia, Solomon's home country, has 71 million people, a per capita income of USD160, and 95,000 computers according the to World Bank. In 2001, Solomon started the Bethany Negash Memorial Foundation, a non-profit, "to promote the diffusion of education that supports economic self-sufficiency in Africa, starting with Ethiopia."
The foundation has shipped three containers of computers to Ethiopia, a total of 1,200 computers. The main targets are schools and colleges. Solomon has instituted a cost recovery process to recoup all the costs associated with shipping the computers, including customs and VAT. He expects that this project will be self sustaining by the end of 2007.Solomon has volunteered to pilot the adoption of the Information Systems text in Ethiopia in the latter half of 2007, be the editor-in-chief for a Systems Analysis and Design text, and pilot a project for converting Ethiopian K-12 texts to the Global Text library.One can only be greatly impressed by Solomon's generosity of time, energy, and thought.
Rick
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