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Words over Weapons, serious mobile game

Challenges Entered: 

Program Origins:

'Words over Weapons' eLearning program was orginally designed with and for young people  in South Africa. www.wordsoverweapons.com
It is currently running there since 2006    in many schools and youth centers.  Because of its success in South Africa and due to the need in Kenya since the post election violence we have decided to adapt the eLearning program for Kenya and develop a mobile game to enhance its reach.

Our Objective:

To  foster a culture of peace amongst young people in Kenya, using an interactive mobile game combined with e-learning cd-rom program. The ultimate outcome will be prevention and reduction of violence, an improvement in interpersonal relationships and thus a better quality of life
The mobile game model will be applicable to many similar situations and developed such as to be easily copied.

Our Innovation:

The program uses e-learning and m-learning programs to teach non-violent communication skills, using engaging local content. The educational approach is highly participatory. The system is especially designed for places with minimal infrastructures. The contents of the program combine cartoons with assignments and a teachers section to guide them in facilitating the program in the class. The program then builds on this basis by using mobile-learning to spread information about a non-violent lifestyle amongst a much bigger group of young people using peer educators. Peer educators use an interactive (serious) game on their mobile phone to spread information on important communication skills. The game will run on any mobile phone with a color screen, it can be spread virally through blue tooth or via cable,  so it will  be shared at no extra cost. The mobile game approach will  serve as a basis for similar games in other similar settings.

Project Details
Project url: 
http://www.wordsoverweapons.com
Project video: 
Supporting organization: 
Butterfly Works, social design agency and NairoBits, digital design school in Nairobi for youth from the slums with a network of 30 community based organisations. www.nairobits.com
Project Assessment
Financial support: 
Project has financial support
Sustainability Model: 
After the initial funding to create the mobile application and implement it  in the schools with the cd-rom program, the mobile game will be virally spread through peers and therefore will incurr no additional costs.It will require  updates and new  advanced versions at a later stage.  
Expertise needed: 
Technical Expertise: <p><font color="#555555">We can design the visuals and the interaction models for the mobile game but need a programming partner to build same. We wish to work the the Saints, a company in the Netherlands who have experience in building games and programs for many telephone platforms and specialize themselves in developing applications with a broad reach of devices. If possible we would prefer to find a company or programming group in Kenya to build the game. If anybody knows such a group we would love to be brought into contact.</font></p>
Project goals: 
1.  Participatory concept development workshop with key stakeholders including youth groups;2. Developing a prototype game;3. Testing the prototype game for attractiveness, usability and technical issues;4. Finalising product development;5. Starting viral campaign with key young people to spread game;
Identified Obstacles: 
The game will work on mobiles with color screens but not on older text-only mobiles. It would be great to find a way for people with text only mobiles to also interact with the game, we will search for ways fo doing this while testing the protoype. Also to make the game more effective it should be combined with additional activities such as peace clubs and e-learning schools. This is part of our overall plan. and we are currently in discussion with a number of ngos working on conflict resolution to partner with on this.
Submitted by Butterfly Works on March 17, 2010 - 6:20pm

Great

Submitted by keniajin on April 18, 2009 - 5:35am.

Excellent!

A good idea for the changing world...............

quite Promising

Submitted by Duncan Onyango on April 14, 2009 - 6:31am.

I think the game is quite promising especially the platform that they have it on, mobile phone usage in africa is growing very fast especially among the youth so its a perfect avenue to interact with the youth wether in the rural or urban areas, so kudos cant wait to try the game for myself. my only question is, would it be possible for players to challenge or rather interact remotely? using bluetooth or other technologies. i think that would be a winner :)

good stuff  

Winning

Submitted by DoGood on April 3, 2009 - 1:00am.

Because of its success in South Africa we know that this project will have a great impact on young people and their social peers. We are supporting this project because it will foster a culture of social awareness, loyalty and peace amongst young people anywhere in the world.

Excellent!

Submitted by bindurio (not verified) on April 2, 2009 - 4:04am.

This would be an invaluable tool not only in Kenya, but in other parts of the world where children need to learn the skills to cope with the violence and unrest around them. Excellent project!!!

It may be worth getting in touch with these guys

Submitted by rob allen on March 31, 2009 - 4:22am.

http://shareideas.org/index.php/Providing_HIV/AIDS_Education_Through_Mobile_Games - That is the most high profile mobile phone 'games for education' project I have seen - the developers are http://www.zmqsoft.com/

BTW J2ME apps (I presume that this will be a J2ME ap) are a pain to share virally over bluetooth (see http://www.funadvice.com/q/sendin_a_jar_file) - A much more common method of people getting J2ME aps onto their phones is over a 'WAP'connection which is available on most Java phones. Getjar is the biggest distribution point for these free apps - see http://www.getjar.com/software/universal/all .Alternatively send SMS's with links to download it from a mobile web site or utilise links from various mobile social networks.

I wish you well in this project - This is an educational method that has huge potential both now and in the future.

 

thanks

Submitted by Butterfly Works on April 1, 2009 - 12:55pm.

thanks so much for your advice, as we have not started programming we are still able to choose the most approriate technical approach, will follow up yoru elads, thanks again

Relevant for all young people

Submitted by Fanny Jol on March 31, 2009 - 2:36am.

Hallo Butterfly works, I really like this project idea and as a teacher of young people in the Netherlands I actually think this would be good for young people in many countries, hope you win, good luck, Fanny

Co-creation / crowd sourcing

Submitted by Butterfly Works on April 6, 2009 - 2:25am.

to develop this game we will work with our network in Kenya online to co-develop the characters and story lines, in this way the game will be sure to reflect the life and issues of thusers. We usually do this in a live workshop setting but our planning now to compliment this with an online co-cretaion process. shoudl be fun!

from Hamilton Juma, Nairobi

Submitted by Butterfly Works on April 6, 2009 - 5:02am.

"Exellent project as it will play a huge role among the youth especially with the ongoing reforms in Kenya. Mobile communication and phone accessibility being the highest amongst the youth in Kenya now, you should expect tremendous impact with this project! Wishing you all the best!"  

Allez Words Over Weapons

Submitted by Monique on April 8, 2009 - 9:19am.

I must admit that butterfly works has worked their veins out to see youths; specifically in urban slums live in peace,  wisdom and hope among themselves. I have witnessed how Nairobits and World Start With Me have contributed positively and perhaps drastically to these Youths. Keep up with the mobile phone project, it must be the best way of preaching peace not only in Kenya but the rest of the world.

Excellent Idea

Submitted by mokol on April 9, 2009 - 5:09am.

This is one of the rare ideas that anyone can think of I believe that if you will this awards the money will not only help African country in particular but the entire world, through the project that has been done by you guys has brought a tremendous outcome in many lives and so will this keep it up and all the best

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