MAP and partners Ricerca e Cooperazione, Lebanon family Planning Association and NISCVT recently launched a health awareness game “Moving Forward” for use throughout the Middle East. The game was trialed in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

The event was really well attended by some 140 representatives from international NGOs, UNRWA, UNFPA, EU and ECHO as well as the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

MAP gave out some 300 games to NGOs working in the camps. They were incredibly well received and the tables we set up to show people how the game was played were a real hoot.

The game itself contains a self-explanatory facilitation guide and the rules of play.
 
Its intention is to be fun but educational, so people learn while they play. It is aimed at ages 13 to 19 and is a new way of addressing very sensitive issues. It addresses gaps in knowledge, reflects on attitudes and values, underpins life skills and offers challenges and dilemmas on everyday life events in the camps. The journey through adolescent is fraught with dangers such as numerous nasty viruses, risk behavior and life exams, you have to successfully negotiate them all to win. You acquire points by answering questions correctly - five correct answers will get you a lifeline which you can use to get passed a virus.
 
It appeals to Palestinian youth who love board games but who find lectures and relentless activities on life skills. In reality it’s an educational tool, but it can be replicated across the region. It has been tested and retested by groups of kids in the camps and by a group of UNRWA teachers. We would like to see it used within the UNRWA educational program but with ongoing training for the teachers on information, attitudes and values.
 
The concept was runner up at the World Bank 2007 Global Developmental Market and the publishing was co funded by EU and MAP UK .