New computers heading to Honduras

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - Children and staffers in Honduras are about to receive 100 new computers thanks to a two-year effort by a group at Southwestern University.

The last box is packed, the shipping container is loaded, and its set sail on a ship headed toward Honduras.

Close behind are twelve students, faculty, and staff from Southwestern who will catch up with the computers in La Esperanza and hand them out to schools and Save the Children staffers in seven villages.

It is a two-year service project in the making and those involved say they're excited to see how the project's grown.

"This goes beyond the bubble of Southwestern, or the bubble of Georgetown, or the bubble of the Austin area," said Luis Reyes, a Southwestern student involved in the project, "and for me that's something amazing and worthwhile."

To learn more about the program, watch the video below:

Paideia - Honduras 2008 from Captain Ruter on Vimeo.

Many of the machines are going to villages that have never seen a computer, and the impact they have goes far beyond the classroom. The computers provide access to information like students have never experience, and they dramatically improve families' earning power.

"The pragmatic use of that technology supports families," said David Gaines, Professor and Director of the Paideia Program at Southwestern.

Students in the Paideia Program, a special honors program that encourages civic involvement, said the project has benefited them as much as it has the children in Honduras.

"Everyone involved is in love with the project," said Southwestern student Olivia Stanzer. "It's a huge part of our lives. It's something we love doing, and we're really excited about expanding it."

To learn more about donating, contact David Williamson.