Tech & Biz

One Laptop Per Child Project Cuts 50% of Staff

by Jarrett Martineau | January 8, 2009 at 08:40 am

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The economic crisis is leaving no industry, organization, or sector unscathed — and the One Laptop Per Child project is no exception.

Today the project's founder Nicholas Negroponte announced that OLPC will be cutting 50% of its staff due to financial difficulties.

In another sign of the growing financial strain on nonprofit groups, the One Laptop Per Child program is paring its staff in half.
The project, a spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that sells durable, green-and-white laptops to developing countries for use in grade schools, will be left with just 32 employees at reduced salaries.

"Like many other nonprofits that are facing tough economic times, One Laptop Per Child must downsize in order to keep costs in line with fewer financial resources," Nicholas Negroponte, the group's founder, wrote in a blog post Wednesday.

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Sanjay Jha

at 21:06 on January 8th, 2009

Thanks Jarret, India was one of the top beneficiary of this scheme and Indian had huge expectations. Cutting budget will certainly hit developing countries badly. Hope the financial downturn soon vanishes and they can continue their philanthropic work.

Uwe Paschen

at 21:09 on January 8th, 2009

Ouch. The Poor get poorer and the Rich get richer, why we have bail outs instead of restructuring and reforming our economy and Politics as well as Laws.