Virtual Reality brings great value on a grass-roots level in Africa

Virtual Reality Education has a direct impact on rural development in Africa – ranging from sanitation, water and food security and other basic life skills.

Dave Lockwood at the Naledi3d Factory, says that interactive 3d learning has a powerful advantage over other more traditional approaches which ignore the visual nature of the human brain.

“In Africa, where poor literacy skills and language barriers are huge challenges to learning and skills development, Virtual Reality comes into its own” he says. “Visualization technologies transcends literacy barriers by showing as opposed to telling ” “Beyond learning, our interactive 3d learning concept can provide a great way to promote cultural heritage, products and new technologies or proposed building developments to customers and other stakeholders “.

The Naledi3d Factory, has successfully used VR technology from EON Reality, to communicate concepts and practices in a wide range of disciplines, including industrial training and safety awareness, heritage, new technology concepts, town planning, farming and health awareness. Together with partners such as UNESCO, the WK Kellogg Foundation and World Links of Harare, they have been working on projects including rural hygiene in Uganda; Malaria; HIV/AIDS awareness for Ethiopian educators, sanitation in Mozambique and supporting emerging farmers in Zimbabwe on a range of agricultural issues.

The Naledi3d Factory has been selected as one of South Africa’s most innovative companies. 2009 they achieved the World Summit Awards  “honorable mention” for their work with farmers in Zimbabwe. For more on interactive 3D education in South Africa – see www.naledi3d.com

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