The Business Ethics Blog

Two months ago I blogged about how the One Laptop Per Child project (formerly known as the “$100 Laptop Project”) was Harnessing Consumerism to Get Laptops to Needy Kids. I said I thought the idea made sense. Two days ago I put my money where my mouth was, and donated $400. As a result, sometime soon I’ll take delivery of one of those strange little devices, and a second will be sent to a child in a developing nation.

I’m not looking for praise by announcing this donation. Some will think I don’t deserve any, anyway. After all, like people who buy goodies through the (Red) campaign, it’s not like my purchase/donation was selfless. On the other hand, look at it this way: I had the itch for a new gadget. And apparently I had $400 burning a hole in my pocket. The other toy I considered buying was a new iPod. Buying an iPod, or buying/donating a funky little green laptop would have cost about the same amount, and satisfied the same itch. For what it’s worth, the choice I made has resulted in some kid I’ll never meet having a nifty educational tool she wouldn’t otherwise have had.