The office of the One Laptop Per Family Project had to be closed yesterday after large numbers of people turned up seeking laptops and refused to leave when they were told that only senior citizens and the disabled were being looked at.
People began gathering at the Forshaw Street, Queenstown location as early as 5 am and by midmorning close to 200 were standing outside. The gates had to be locked because of the size of the crowd and police were eventually called to ensure order.
Forshaw Street residents were upset that the crowds were littering, blocking the area, leaning on their cars, which they were afraid would be damaged and generally lending to what had become chaos.
Contacted during the afternoon hours, OLPF public relations consultant Dario McKlmon told Stabroek News that they had to suspend all operations for the day but despite this people still remained outside the locked gates.
He explained that earlier this week, a decision was taken to fast track applications by senior citizens and the disabled and start the distribution process to those groups. He said that this “went bad” as many other people began turning up at the office.
McKlmon said that on Wednesday a lot of people had gathered at the office but yesterday’s crowd was huge.
He said that as people arrived they were told that only the elderly and disabled would be looked at, but they still remained.
They were also advised that the first round of distribution for the region would begin on October 23 and that they would be contacted, but many still remained.
According to McKlmon, as a way to appease the crowd, many were handed application forms as it was ascertained that the majority had not applied before.
He noted that they are not seeing the huge turnout in a negative light as it is a signal that people are anxious to be a part of the project.
He said many of the people who flocked the office never had any interest in the project before, for various reasons, but have now had a change of mind after hearing the many success stories.
When Stabroek News visited the location just after 8 am, more than 50 people were standing outside, many with umbrellas and there were others sitting in cars or standing a short distance away.
One woman, who appeared to be in her early 50s, described the system at the headquarters as bad.
She said a better arrangement should have been put in place to deal with the large volume of persons who had gathered. The woman said that moments before she had signed up a form.
Another man who was busily filling out his form, said that he came down because he heard that laptops were being shared out.
Two other women, who did not want their names mentioned, told this newspaper that someone told them they should go to the office because laptops were being shared out. One of the women said she arrived there around 5 am, since she wanted “to get through quick”. She said she had previously filled out a form but the office was yet to make contact with her.
Other people who had gathered said that they too had filled out forms and were given yellow chits. Those who filled out their forms yesterday were also given chits.
During a second visit just after lunch at least 50 people were observed blocking the entrance to the office and were being overseen by a uniformed policeman.
One woman, who did not want to be identified, said she was there since around 8 am to sign up a form. She said she got “a call” and decided to go. The woman said that from her understanding most of the people who were there ought not to have been there, but had turned up because of misleading information that was spread by word of mouth.
She said getting the form took some time and then the process of handing it in also took time.
While there, this newspaper noticed a man exiting the compound holding one of the laptops. He said he did the registration about three days ago and was called to uplift his laptop yesterday. He said he was given a chit once his registration form was submitted and when he turned up yesterday he had to produce it before he was given the laptop. He seemed happy.
When the gate was opened for a truck to go in some of the persons attempted to enter but were stopped by the police.
