Kenya, 'Komboleo': the board game designed by the children of the slums

the ROME - "In Nairobi, in the slums of Dagoretti, lives a group of friends. One day, the group realizes that one of them went in search of adventures in the forest and the group of friends wants to go look for". So it is that the children involved in the conception of the "Komboleo" have decided to introduce the story that will start the adventure on which is based the game. “Komboleo” is a swahili word that means “save for change”, and this is the name of the new table game cooperative, in collaboration with the children of the Children Village Dagoretti, for the project Out of the street, aimed at the recovery of street children, of children and adolescents vulnerable.

How it works . The game includes 8 characters designed by the children, divided into age groups mixed, and delineated on the basis of fears, abilities, strengths and weaknesses of their creators. Thanks to this path, the kids had the opportunity to be protagonists, to compete, to grow, to know others better and at the same time to discover themselves. There was, in fact, who shared the dream of becoming a journalist and who is a doctor, who is afraid of the dark, and those who own touchiness, who is the love of music and the theatre. All of which now belong to the characters of “Komboleo”: Imani, Tumaini, Keri, Shalom, Eston, John, James, and Toti.

No competition, but team work . Unlike the more common table games, “Komboleo” does not set a player to another, but the various participants work together to win. In this lies the great originality of this game: is not fostered in the individual competition but the cooperation of the group. The players are identified in 8 characters with different characteristics but with a common goal: to find and bring back home the component of the group in danger. If they succeed, all they will have won. If we do not succeed, the defeat will be common, as well as the desire to try again.

“Komboleo” wants to prove that share a common purpose and a sense of community, and be able to work together, enhancing the skills of each member of the community, is the best way to face and overcome the difficulties of the day. Among these, for some children, there are diarrhea, malaria and wild animals.