Retrieved from Allafrica News
 http://allafrica.com/stories/200210100153.html

The Herald (Harare)
October 10, 2002 
Posted to the web October 10, 2002 

AN electronic learning company, Learning Resources, was launched in Harare recently, becoming the second firm to offer such kind of service to both the public and the corporate world. The company, which is locally owned, is the brainchild of Ms Anne-Marie Mombeyarara, who bought the franchise from Adtech following the exodus of the former directors.

Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, Mr Aeneas Chigwedere, hailed the launch of the company as it was set to equip both the corporate world and the public with the necessary skills to tackle new challenges. "To be precise, let me say we need electronic learning or e-learning, which the Learning Resources is trying to promote. E-learning, in my view ladies and gentlemen, is the key if we are to successfully come to terms with the fast changing world we find ourselves in today, particularly in the field of education," said Mr Chigwedere. His ministry was already working on strategies to ensure that e-learning is provided in all schools to equip students with the necessary skills to face the new challenges. "All these ideals, dovetail with my Ministry's efforts and the Government's new thrust of science and technology. We are currently busy trying to transform our curriculum towards a deliberate bias in science and technology."

Also speaking at the launch Ms Mombeyarara said they took the bold decision to invest in e-learning as a way of contributing to the advancement of technology in the country. "We identified that there was a huge gap in e-learning and deliberately chose to invest in the sector when everyone is pulling out," said Ms Mombeyarara. She conceded that e-learning was still at its infancy in Zimbabwe and required aggressive marketing for the concept to be adopted across the business sector.

Learning resources has over 2 500 courses on CD-ROMs.
"Corporate bodies across the world have discovered that besides being cost effective e-learning provides their staff with basic technology, which you cannot get through the traditional methods."
The company has also joined forces with a local financial institution on an educational promotion under which it will provide free computers and learning tools to disadvantaged schools.