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Ideas Box Burundi - Midterm Report, Initial Results and Perspectives

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THE IDEAS BOX, AT A GLANCE

A media center in a kit, the Ideas Box fits on two pallets and can be installed in less than 30 minutes under any conditions. It brings:

• 15 tablets and 4 laptops with a satellite internet connection

• 250 paper books and 50 e-readers with thousands of e-books

• MOOC and stand-alone Internet educational digital contents including Khan Academy and Wikipedia

• A cinema module with a rich film collection

• 5 HD cameras for film-making and journalism

• Board games and video games

• Arts and crafts materials, puppets and a theatre workshop

LWB has developed a major innovation for access to education, culture and information in humanitarian crises and for vulnerable populations. The Ideas Box provides tools for teachers, self-education, professional development, artistic creativity and access to critical information. It empowers children, adults, and communities to reconstruct what has been lost and, beyond, pave foundations for a self-reliant future.

International aid traditionally aims at addressing immediate pressing needs for food, shelter, health care and clothing. Once these priorities have been met, communities need a way to forge social ties and develop resilience for the struggles that lay ahead.

Designed by the creator Philippe Starck and in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency, the Ideas Box provides a comprehensive response to these needs. The Box itself protects the contents from rain, heat, and dust, and can be packed and unpacked within minutes.

In February 2014, Libraries Without Borders implemented the first Ideas Box kits in Burundi for Congolese refugees.