IICD Partner in Zambia to co-organise major eLearning event

Every year, the eLearning Africa conference makes its mark as the largest gathering of eLearning and distance education professionals in Africa. In 2009 for instance, more then 1300 people from over forty countries participated in the event. During the packed programme of lively debates, panel discussions, best practice demonstrations and pre-conference events, participants got the chance to discuss a diverse range of Information and Communication Technologies for Education issues from ‘mainstreaming eLearning for the environment and sustainable development’  to  ‘eLearning and post-conflict situations’.

The eLearning Zambia National Committee

The eBrain Forum of Zambia is part of the Zambia National Committee for eLearning Africa 2010. At this event a good balance will be sought between participants from the field working directly in education and policymakers to improve dialogue and diversity. eBrain already has experience with organising  monthly meetings to highlight policy issues and innovations in ICT for development in Zambia and is therefore a valuable asset to the Zambia national committee for eLearning Africa 2010.

In preparation for the big eLearning event in Zambia in 2010, several national eLearning activities have already taken place.  A delegation of the eLearning Zambia National Committee  was also present at the 2009 event that was held from 27-29  May in Senegal.

IICD is working closely with the eLearning Zambia National Committee to help them with preparations for the eLearning Africa Conference in Zambia in 2010. The foundations for this cooperation were laid at a meeting between IICD, the eLearning Zambia Planning Committee and  Zambia’s Minister for Science and Technology, the Honourable Gabriel Namulambe, in Senegal during the 2009 eLearning Africa Conference at the end of May.

Showcasing Zambian experiences from the education sector

One of the goals of eLearning Africa 2010 in Zambia will be to showcase Zambian experiences from the education sector. For instance, an   exemplary project supported by IICD in Zambia through the IICD Zambia Country Programme could be the Youth Resource Centre Programme.

In this programme in cooperation with the Ministry, two of IICD’s project partners in Zambia - the Chawama Youth Project and the Ndola Resource Centre - are also using the experience they have gained from the project and lessons learned during the process to build the information and communication capacity of one training college and sixteen Youth Resource Centres all over the country. Because this programme increases computer literacy, more young people are able to find jobs after receiving education at the centres. These and other projects are good examples of some of the successful Information and Communication Technologies for Education projects currently taking place in Zambia’s education sector.

A window of hope

Since its inception in 2005, the eLearning Africa Conference strives to alternate locations between West Africa to East Africa. After taking place in West Africa (Senegal) in 2009, eLearning Africa will now take place in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, in East Africa. The eLearning Zambia National Committee has been preparing for the 2010 event for some time now. Professor Thomson Sinkala,  Chair of the Committee summed up the mood of the organisers:

“We are very excited about this conference and see it as avenue that can open up a lot in the country. It is a window of hope and a great opportunity for us”. - Professor Thomson Sinkala, Chair of the eLearning Zambia National Committee.