The success of the laptop project is partly dependent, I would think, on getting families to support it. The extended family is a crucial support structure in the developing world. It is also often under strain, as people are displaced by war and economics. The laptop could include a “virtual scrapbook” in which kids could store photos, stories, and audio and video clips of family members. Activities could encourage kids to gather and record family memories. Stories from far-away family members could be phoned in and downloaded from a central clearinghouse.
Once a digital scrapbook is complete, it could be used in various ways. It could be uploaded and shared among family members. It could be repurposed as a “Family Trivia” game, where facts, dates and anecdotes could be matched to family members. If a “family tree” is uploaded to a central network, it might be mapped against other family trees. Suddenly, through the laptop project, people could be connected to relatives they didn’t know they had. The "Digital Family Album" could become an important resource for victims of diaspora, helping to maintain the viability of family ties.