In Touri Zoumé, Benin, the biggest challenge in malaria and dengue fever prevention isn't what you’d expect.
"Instead of using the mosquito nets to prevent malaria, people preferred to use them to manufacture greenhouses suitable for seedbeds," says Theodore Dangboessi, a Right To Play coach.
Insecticide-coated nets are 90 per cent effective as a barrier against mosquitoes and using these nets can saves lives. To change the community's attitude to using mosquito nets, Theodore knew he needed to enlist the energy and passion of the young people. He needed them to become the advocates and educators, pressing their parents and elders to use the nets to protect their own beds, instead of their seedbeds. But first, they had to understand exactly how the nets work. Theodore turned to what he knows best: play.
His chosen games: Under the Net and Mosquito Tag. Both are used widely in Right To Play programs to teach children about malaria, how it is spread and how it can be prevented. The games also guide children through the proper use and set up of a malaria net over their beds so as to ensure maximum efficiency, animating the threat of potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes in a fun and engaging way and help the children understand how and why to use mosquito nets to stay safe.
Here's one way play teaches protection:
Children gather in groups of three; one group is designated 'mosquitoes' and in the other groups two children are designated 'mosquito nets' and one is a ‘child.’
The two 'mosquito nets' join hands over their heads to form an arch. The ‘child’ stands under the arch of the ‘mosquito nets.’ Under the 'nets,’ the child is safe from the ‘mosquitoes.’
When the coach yells "change", the 'children' must leave their nets and run to find another net to be safe under, each ‘mosquito net’ can host only one child. While they are out from under the nets, ‘mosquitoes’ try to tag them.When they are tagged they are bitten.
All three groups change roles every few minutes so that each child gets a turn as 'mosquito', ‘mosquito net’ and ‘child.’
After each game, Theodore gathers the children for a group discussion to reflect on what they have learned and to connect and apply this information to their daily lives. Through these coach-led interactive discussions, the children are able to identify the most important steps to take to stay healthy. They are encouraged to communicate this information at home and in their communities, generating a higher awareness of disease prevention and resulting in behaviour change.
This game, as well as the conversations that follow, help children understand that in life, like in the game, mosquitoes are dangerous and mosquito nets keep you safe from them.
"At first, I was helpless against the phenomenon of mosquito nets being used to create greenhouses," says Theodore. "But thanks to the dynamism of youth, there has been a positive change in Zoumé."
Not only have the children in our programs in Benin been enthusiastic participants, they've put their newfound knowledge about malaria and dengue fever prevention and mosquito nets into action. Last year, 91 per cent of the children in our programs in Benin correctly understood how malaria is transmitted, resulting in an increased use of mosquito nets. For children not in our programs, that awareness was only 59 per cent.
"Children sensitized their parents about the use of mosquito nets," adds Theordore's colleague, reinforcing that children's health education coupled with communication is improving the overall wellness of communities.
Right To Play programs all over the world successfully use a wide variety of games to educate children about health issues. Our games teach children not only about disease prevention, but also the importance of hygiene, immunizations, clean water, safe sexual behavior, recognizing disease and seeking medical help when they're sick. And all over the world we see the impact: healthier children, families and communities.
In 2015, Right To Play launched the Play for the Advancement of Quality Education (PAQE) program with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. Active in eight countries, PAQE uses Right To Play's play-based approach to learning and development which focuses on a quality education to build teacher capacity and remove barriers to education to improve learning outcomes for children.
