Anthony Muzondo
GWERU: In a bid to address the effects of climate change, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Gweru launched the Climate Change Games Campaign Programme.
Aiming to empower youth with climate smart knowledge, the programs aims to reach 2000 youths across the Midlands Province.
Speaking at the meeting, Mgcini Gcinekile Masiye, the Chief Executive Officer of YMCA, said that the program focuses on empowering young people through knowledge-sharing on issues related to climate change and youth justice.
“The reason we are here today is to discuss climate change, and how we are programming around it, as well as youth justice. This initiative aims to empower youth, especially juveniles, as our vision states,” he said.
He further stated that YMCA’s vision is deeply rooted in youth empowerment and also pointed out that YMCA has responded to climate-related disasters in the past, such as during Cyclone Idai in 2021, underlining the importance of empowering youth to assist in such situations at the community level.
Evidence Chipadza, Youth Chairperson for YMCA’s Programs for Development, also said that in response to the global climate crisis, YMCA has decided to launch a climate game program using the gamification method to engage youth in climate action.
“Climate change causes numerous environmental hazards, so raising awareness is essential. We aim to empower youth to take decisive action. Through gamification, we will engage them by applying game design elements to non-game contexts to encourage specific behaviors,” she explained.
She also mentioned that gamification has increasingly been used worldwide to address climate change by promoting sustainable practices and raising awareness about environmental issues.
During the event, external participants were introduced to interactive quiz and logical games designed for the campaign. These games aim to engage the youth on climate change by testing knowledge and encouraging critical thinking about environment sustainability.
YMCA operates in four main areas through its Vision 2030 which include Community Wellbeing, Meaningful Work, Sustainable Planet, and Just World.
