LAS VEGAS – Intel on Friday announced the launch of the Small Things Challenge, a one-year charity program intended to facilitate donations to Kiva.org and Save the Children.
"What we're doing is in fact coming up with a challenge for you – something called the Small Things Challenge – one step at a time," Intel chairman Craig Barrett said during his Consumers Electronics Show (CES) keynote.
Intel set up a Web site for the group at SmallThingsChallenge.com.
"What we're going to do is focus on … the Save the Children group and Kiva.org, education and economic development," Barrett said. "My company Intel will donate a nickel for ever click that happens, within limits."
People can contribute to the Small Things Challenge in three ways: donate to Save the Children's Rewrite the Future program, which helps children in war-torn countries receive an education; provide a micro-loan through Kiva.org, which helps entrepreneurs in developing countries get their businesses off the ground; or encourage friends and family to donate.
Send an e-mail encouraging someone to donate and for every person who clicks on the "we'll donate 5 cents for you" button on the Web site, Intel will donate another 5 cents, up to $300,000 in 2009. The funds will be split between Save the Children and Kiva.org.
There is no minimum donation necessary for Save the Children, but Kiva.org requires a minimum of $25.
The challenge is currently scheduled to run until December 31, 2009.
Musicians Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Adam Duritz of Counting Crows joined Barrett onstage at his keynote to issue their support for the challenge.
"I think we feel it's our responsibility to [contribute]," said Levine. "We've been blessed with a lot of success and the least we can do is give back in any way we possibly can."
Kiva.org is "able to connect lenders to entrepreneurs in developing countries so a food vendor can open a shop, or a water carrier can purchase a new cart, which means more jobs in the village, which means more economic growth for their community," Levine said. "And they're not looking for a handout. They're looking for a way to better their lives, and you can help."
Levine helped Intel create a video explaining the Small Things Challenge, which will be featured on the site and YouTube, Barrett said.
"Each of these organizations … finds ways to empower and encourage people to step forward and take their place in a world that has always told them it has no room and no place for them," Duritz said. "We disagree. Through education the boundaries of our lives are shattered."
The bulk of Barrett's keynote was spent highlighting technology education and healthcare initiatives in which he and Intel have been involved.
Save the Children will soon be distributing Intel's Classmate PCs to 10 schools in Bangladesh, a program that will eventually expand to include 300 schools in the area, said Caroline Miles, chief operating office of Save the Children.
Barrett also highlighted a second-generation, portable device from OQO that Barrett said can help doctors remotely connect to patients' medical records from the field.
The $999 touchscreen OQO model 2+ runs the 1.86GHz Intel Atom processor, has 2GB of RAM, and 3G connectivity capabilities.
Barrett also showcased an upcoming game from Warner Bros. Interactive Games intended to teach young people about HIV/AIDS. It has been deployed in three test sites in Nairobi, Kenya and lets five kids play at once.
source : www.pcmag.com
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