The centre, according to the Foundations Martin Ganda, would be a knowledge hub in the field of modern technology.

Ganda was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between Seeds for Africa Foundation and council officials.

He said the educational centre would benefit people of all ages, from kindergarten to adults who could not afford to access the internet or use internet cafs.

Ganda said the project, in which the foundation had joined hands with the city of Mutare, was a first for the country. He added the resource centre was expected to empower poor societies.

It would provide reference books and textbooks in digital format for students and others, as textbooks were expensive.

It will be a one-stop shop, combining all the different resources in an attempt to create an educational resource base for our poor communities. Our goal is to create a community knowledge centre that offers free educational resources and leverages technology for everyone. It will offer cheaper forms of educational material for the community compared to other forms of educational material on offer, as it is free, said Ganda.

Harvard architecture student Jonathan Zee is expected to draw a plan for the proposed resource centre. He said the centre would be massive and able to accommodate many people.

Zee said the Foundation would not prescribe how the centre was used, but would work with the local authority on programmes that suited the needs of individuals and groups.

The centre was expected to benefit some of the 500,000 residents of the city of Mutare. Local libraries are hard hit by a shortage of reference books and textbooks for pupils and students.