A board game to educate and inform learners about Gender Based Violence (GBV) through the power of play has been launched by Non-Governmental Organisation Awareness for Child Trafficking/Trauma (ACT) Africa in partnership with Sunbet Cares.
The NPO, formed in 2019 by Matthew Mensah and Hilary Leong after years of working with children rescued from child trafficking and abuse, aims to raise awareness of Human Trafficking and GBV and teaches young boys about the correct treatment of women.
The No 2 Violence (N2V) Monster Mayhem board, for children over the age of 10 as well as adults, has been released in partnership with Sunbet, DGMT and Spoor & Fisher. The game was launched at The Maslow in Sandton where it was showcased to potential stakeholders, including representatives from the Gauteng Department of Education and the National Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
“There is a worrying trend of child trafficking and GBV in South Africa and when this project was proposed, it was clear that ACT Africa and Sunbet shared a common goal of raising awareness and providing education about both this problem and GBV,” said Sunbet CEO, Simon Gregory.
With this significant funding from Sunbet, the game’s national roll-out commenced with 50 games distributed to learners at Eldorado Park Secondary School and Boekenhout Primary School in Eldorado Park, Suideheuwels Laerskool in South Hills and Die Burger Hoerskool in Florida. It is set to expand into Mpumalanga and other provinces. The funding will also be used for marketing in South Africa and beyond.
“Children require teaching in cognitive and behaviour skills as primary competencies for adulthood and we want to change South Africa’s cycle of rape statistics by working with the next generation to change mindsets from an early age. Educational play is one of the best ways to hold a child’s attention while teaching them,” said Leong of the game which was more than three years in the making, and was designed and manufactured locally.
No2 Violence can be played by between two and six players or groups meaning up to 30 players can play at once, tackling ‘monsters’ representing societal scourges. Players must team up to communicate successfully using only emojis to say no to the monsters. Each monster that is defeated counts towards points and after four rounds, the team with the most points wins. The game was designed to be played in any location.
Sun International is known for its proactive stance against GBV, partnering with Father a Nation to conduct interventions in schools. Speaking at the launch, Sunbet Commercial Manager, Lesibana Mahloana said the Act Africa partnership aligned with the hospitality company’s initiatives. “Sunbet is proud to have made a tangible commitment in creating a culture of safety where everyone feels empowered and informed. This boardgame will change the cycle of GBV by influencing mindsets at a grassroots level.”
Vusi Mtsweni, CEO of the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator that is responsible for fostering a safe environment through better economic well-being, described the game as “ground-breaking”.
“No 2 Violence is an innovative and exciting board game that gets the message about saying no to GBV across, by practising what they have been taught, and we believe it has the longevity and excitement to sustain the interest of schoolchildren,” said Gregory. “Sunbet Cares’ ethos is to be a responsible corporate citizen and leave a lasting impact in local communities we support with our slogan ‘Get More from Every Moment’.”
