SOAS announces project launch of interactive educational game on history of resistance to slavery on the Swahili coast

Dr Marie Rodet (SOAS) in partnership with Jiwe Studios (Kenya) and Pwani University (Kenya), with the joint support of SOAS Impact Acceleration Account and UNESCO Kenya, will officially launch at Pwani University a groundbreaking collaborative project to create an interactive educational mobile game dedicated to exploring the history of resistance to slavery on the swahili coast.

The timing of this event is particularly significant, as it coincides with the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. This adds a profound layer of meaning to the project’s mission to educate and inspire future generations through this innovative project. The video game will be based on community narratives of resistance collected by the communities themselves through mobile phones. 

Ultimately, the mobile game will be integrated to the Kenya school curriculum as a pedagogical tool with the ultimate goal to use it as a teaching tool for young generations to fight against all forms of discrimination and exploitation, including modern slavery. The event will showcase the educational and cultural significance of video games to discuss difficult pasts and how digital technologies can be harnessed to create meaningful change and promote social justice.