Matt York of OMPT
With a large portion of the affected population at a low literacy rate, it is very important that we convey in the local languages and visually show the steps people need to take to stop the spread of the disease.
Chico, CA (PRWEB) December 11, 2014
One Mobile Projector Per Trainer (OMPT) has been selected by the Centers for Disease Control to respond to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.
OMPT will supply aid organizations engaged in the fight against Ebola with 100 plus specialized mobile video production and projection units. The OMPT units will contain safety procedures videos, created in local languages, that show West Africans how they can adapt traditional practices and stem the spread of the Ebola virus. Because the OMPT projection units are battery-powered, there is no need for a local power source and the videos can be shown in the most rural locations. “Stopping the spread of the disease is as much a communications challenge as a medical one,” states Matt York, founder and executive director of OMPT. “With a large portion of the affected population at a low literacy rate, it is very important that we convey in the local languages and visually show the steps people need to take to stop the spread of the disease.”
The OMPT team, lead by York, will travel to Conakry, Guinea, and teach on-the-ground aid personnel how to create video lessons and use the video projection technology starting in early January 2015. Additional trips to Liberia and Sierra Leone are planned for the following months.
About the OMPT Ebola Video Communications Training
The four-day video production workshop will teach aid workers how to make videos. The videos, which will be done in the local languages, will feature prevention measures as well as trusted leaders and testimony from Ebola survivors. The videos will be stored on micro SD cards and can be delivered by hand from village to village and shown via mini-projectors on hut walls. No electricity required.
About the OMPT Specialized Video Production and Projection Kits
The 100 plus OMPT video production kits are specially suited for use in areas without consistent access to electricity. All of the equipment is battery-powered and can be operated and recharged using alternative energy sources like solar panels (which OMPT provides) or alligator clips connected to car or motorcycle batteries.
About OMPT’s Outreach Efforts
OMPT wants to extend its services to other West African countries battling the spread of Ebola via education. OMPT has two initiatives to raise the necessary funds for the expansion. First, on December 13th and 14th, 2014 OMPT will participate in the “Project for Awesome 2014” on YouTube. This two-day fundraising blitz is a community-driven online charitable movement to raise money and awareness for worthy non-profits. The following Tuesday, December 16th, OMPT will launch a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, titled “Fight Ebola with Cordless Video.” The campaign will seek to raise $50,000 and will run through December 31st.
Sign up for the OMPT E-Newsletter to get ongoing updates on the campaigns.
About OMPT
Vision: One Mobile Projector per Trainer is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit initiative of Polder, Inc. OMPT envisions a world where electricity, illiteracy, location, language and materials are no longer barriers to positive social change. By empowering organizations to create videos, we can help them to better reach the most underserved and remote communities with less staff and fewer resources.
With recent advancements in technology – like mini cameras and mini projectors – everyone can use video as an educational tool, even without electricity. Our equipment is rugged and portable, and uses alternative energy sources like solar power, so it can be used anywhere, at any time.
More information is available at http://www.ompt.org.
Media Contact: Keitha Corbit
Tele: 530-343-7868
Email: keitha(at)ompt(dot)org
