DHL and the One Laptop Per Child Foundation Partner to Deliver Thousands of Computers to Haitian School Children

PLANTATION, Fla.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--DHL Express, the world’s leading express delivery and logistics company, today announced it has partnered with The One Laptop per Child foundation (OLPC) to deliver over two thousand laptops to Haiti for use by displaced students and schools that have been hardest-hit in the earthquake-stricken country. OLPC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help provide every child in the world access to a modern education.

“The event of near total reconstruction of Haitian education infrastructure provides the unique opportunity to rethink school and how children learn”

DHL Express is donating its transportation network and logistics expertise for delivery of the refurbished “XO” laptops, a unique laptop developed by The One Laptop per Child foundation. On Thursday, March 11 in Dallas, Texas, DHL Express picked up the first set of computers, which reached Port-Au-Prince on the following Monday. Waveplace, an organization that provides free laptops in the Caribbean, will then distribute the laptops in four communities in Haiti.

“Since the devastating earthquake, DHL Express has provided a significant amount of support for the distribution of relief goods into Haiti,” said Charles Brewer, Senior Vice President and General Manager for DHL Express. “As the specialists in international express shipping, we are delighted to partner with The One Laptop per Child foundation and support this effort.”

“The event of near total reconstruction of Haitian education infrastructure provides the unique opportunity to rethink school and how children learn," said Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman of OLPC. "Providing each child with a connected, rugged, hand-cranked or solar-powered laptop, to use at home and in school, provides a unique learning experience and makes each child an agent of change."

In January 2010 at the onset of the disaster, DHL deployed its Disaster Recovery Team (DRT) to Haiti and was one of the first organizations to provide on-the-ground logistics support to the international relief effort. DHL sent rotating teams of DRT volunteers from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and the U.S., deployed several relief flights and with its volunteers processed thousands of tons of relief goods for the people of Haiti.

"DHL has responded generously to the crisis in Haiti,” said Robert Fadel, Senior Director for International Partnerships at OLPC. “DHL's current support has enabled The One Laptop per Child Foundation to quickly and efficiently deliver donated XO laptops to children in Haiti. We look forward to continued support from DHL Express as we work with the Haitian government, the UN, and other NGOs to expand the XO laptop program in Haiti.”

Deutsche Post DHL operates the warehouses for OLPC in Dallas, Texas and Shanghai, China. By utilizing a single provider with the scale of DHL, OLPC partners with DHL for its express, air and sea freight requirements as well as warehousing needs. DHL to-date has delivered thousands of laptops for OLPC from its warehouses in the U.S. and China to various mission agencies, governments, NGOs and partners across the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

DHL – The Logistics company for the world

DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and “The Logistics company for the world.” DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 300,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting climate protection, disaster management and education.

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL. The Group generated revenue of more than 46 billion euros in 2009.

About the One Laptop per Child Foundation

The One Laptop per Child Foundation (OLPC at http://www.laptop.org) is a non-profit organization created by Nicholas Negroponte and others from the MIT Media Lab to design, manufacture and distribute laptop computers that are inexpensive enough to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern forms of education.