DURBAN - AN EDUCATIONAL game that teaches children about climate change and how to advocate a greener future was launched at the Durban International Book Fair on Friday.
Viroshen and Nireshnee Chetty, co-founders of Mind Blown League (MBL), were inspired to create the game after noticing the effects of climate change while on their favourite hiking trail, and realising how short life was, following a car accident.
The couple, who have a background in communications, media and publishing, went to schools to find out how best to teach children about climate change.
Viroshen said: “We went into classrooms and found out what they needed. They told us they do not like to read but liked to play games instead.
“That was a light bulb moment as it made us realise that games are a fantastic medium to get people to learn, raise eco-consciousness and to get them inspired on science and technology,” he said.
The name of the game was inspired from the visits to schools.
Nireshnee said: “We shared the facts with learners and we constantly got the ‘oh my God, that is mind-blowing’ reaction. Facts were curated and presented and when thy student said ‘Wow’, then we knew it was a mind-blowing fact.
“We are constantly looking for facts that are new and never heard of before, which shifts the paradigm,” she said.
After completing a four-year pilot project from 2016, the start-up garnered the Seed Awards at the SAB Foundation Social Innovation Awards in 2022 and an innovation grant from the Technology and Innovation Agency (TIA).
MBL is an original African story set in the fictional world of Lumina and players battle eco-problems such as smog, plastic pollution and soil erosion that have transformed into dozens of Blight Beasts like Sarge Smog, Plastic and Dextructor.
Using a deck of cards that represent warriors, totems, innovative equipment, mind-blowing facts and intriguing questions and answers, players attempt to capture these beasts and, if successful, they can save Lumina and win the day.
The content was curated by a team of education specialists and science communicators. It is also a designed learning tool aligned to Grades 4 to 12.
MBL is a hybrid game that can be played via cellphone or cards. The mobile game can be downloaded via the Playstore at no cost and is constantly upgraded with new facts and information, while the cards are available for R200.
Viroshen said they have a school league with 20 schools on board currently playing, while 50 more have indicated an interest in joining. It is being held provincially.
Each club has 20 to 30 players and has a leaderboard within the club. They play in teams of two and the winning team at the end of the season on October 31 advances to the regional finals to be held in December, at a central location in Durban.
The Durban Book Fair, themed ‘The Book and Beyond’ taking place at The Globe in Suncoast Casino, ends today. It provided a platform for writers, academics and publishers to launch and showcase their work to a diverse audience.
Several stalwarts in the media space were honoured with lifetime achievement awards, including Professor Ari Sita, a renowned South African poet, playwright, academic and activist; Dr Phindile Dlamini, a director of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press; and Dr Nanda Sooben, an acclaimed cartoonist.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE