Gamifying CSE: Kyrgyzstan
It is well known fact that active youth engagement doesn’t come from boring lectures – it comes from interactive learning process that focuses on real life situations. Board games have been a great learning tool that has gained popularity, especially within NGOs. However, the youth group of Reproductive Health Alliance of Kyrgyzstan (RHAK) noticed that sexual and reproductive rights and health (SRHR) topics remain underrepresented in these games, so they decided to make one themselves.
Project lead Eduard M. says:
“During the development process, we encountered various situations some funny, some challenging, and other where we struggled to find a solution. One of the main challenges was choosing a format that would be both engaging for participants and an effective learning tool. We didn’t want the game to turn into mere entertainment, yet we also didn’t want it to feel like just another lesson. So, we decided to combine several different mechanics and card types to create diverse ways for participants to interact with the topics at hand.
In the early stages, we played the game ourselves quite a lot. We tested the rules, checked for compatibility, looked for contradictions, and tried to find ways to “break” the game. There were some amusing moments, too: sometimes the resulting combinations were so absurd that we had to stop and laugh.
However, these odd situations proved useful. They helped us identify weaknesses in the rules and rework elements that weren’t functioning as expected. The game underwent significant changes as a result of this process.”
Often SRHR topics can be sensitive to discuss. The game addresses a wide variety of questions – contraception, STIs, healthcare services, consent, human rights, support services, different forms of violence, gender expression, and more.
“The most interesting part often isn’t the “correct” answer itself, but the reasons why a player chose it. Two participants might look at the exact same situation and choose completely different courses of action and that is precisely when the real discussion begins.“
Eduard M.
If you feel inspired to create your own project, apply to Small Project Grants 2026/2027 by 6th of November 2026.
