African Medical Research Foundation Uses Game for the World to Support Its Program in Tanzania
Alan and I flew from Johannesburg to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where we were met at the airport by two of of our Game for the World ambassadors, Uswege Mwakapango and Adam Rubin. Uswege has been tireless in introducing the Game to organizations and schools, training staff and student peer educators throughout Tanzania. Adam had just flown in from the U.S. to help us expand the use of Game for the World.
We were met at the hotel by a Masai who took my bag and gave me his walking stick, a great honor. Barefoot and in traditional dress, he flew up the stairs with our heavy suitcases, containing 100 copies of the Game. There was no way we could even trudge up the stairs with them, let alone run!
Uswege, Anne, Alan & Masai
We arranged for a car and driver for the week to drive us to organizations and schools which are using Game for the World throughout Tanzania. The morning after we arrived, we left at 5:30 a.m. to drive 500 km to Kikunde Secondary School, in the Tanga Region. Kikunde is one of 41 schools using the Game in a program which AMREF, the African Medical and Research Foundation is administering. AMREF’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Education Officer, George Saiteu, drove with us to Kikunde.
AMREF has worked in Tanzania since 1957 when the Flying Doctors provided specialist medical services in remote hospitals. We’re excited to be working with this foundation. It uses the Game to support its work reducing the stigma surrounding HIV, encouraging people to have HIV tests and decreasing the rate of infection.
AMREF’s Land Cruiser took us over the last leg of rough roads to Kikunde School.
We drove on bumpy, corrugated roads through beautiful countryside and villages. Eleven hours later, we arrived at Kikunde School and met the headmaster, Mbaraka Bwembwe and Rahalis Francis, a teacher, who introduced us to her students. It was the first time I had watched the new Swahili translation of the Game being played. How great to see it working well! The students were clearly confident in using the Game and proud to know the answers to the factual questions. I was especially moved to hear a student say she became a peer educator because she could see how she could help people dying of AIDS in her community.
Kikunde peer educators with teacher Rahalis Francis.
Rahalis told us the Game makes a difference in how effectively she can teach. Her students’ awareness about HIV/AIDS has increased and they’re looking forward to teaching their fellow students how to play. In fact, the Game’s effectiveness has been proven by testing 82 primary and secondary students’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS before and after they play: average scores have been 51% before playing the Game and 79% after!
At the end of our week, we met again with George Saiteu and with Henerico Ernest, AMREF’s area manager to discuss AMREF’s education programs and its need for Game for the World. Henerico said AMREF regards the Game as an effective tool to teach young people about HIV/AIDS. In fact, he told us AMREF need 93 more Games to use in their school program.
We’re excited to know how much AMREF values the Game. Our next step? We’re researching how it can be produced in Tanzania and how we can raise funds to accomplish this.
Our work in Tanzania is supported by a grant from the Zuckerman Community Outreach Foundation in Tucson, Arizona and by the generosity of family and friends. If you want to make a difference in the lives of young Tanzanians, please consider a donation at our web site, www.gamefortheworld.com.
Back row: Adam Rubin, George Saiteu, Rahalis Francis, 3 peer educators, Anne, Mbaraka Bwembwe, Uswege Mwakapango.
Front row: 4 peer educators
March 11, 2013