This Ozy Genius is Making Education in Uganda Delicious
This Ozy Genius is Making Education in Uganda Delicious
This Ozy Genius is Making Education in Uganda Delicious
By Liam Jamieson
June 12, 2021
Summary
Crucial for developing skills, making friends and learning, the power of games is well understood by Joel Baraka.
The 23-year-old OZY Genius Award winner has bridged the gap between play and education at home in Uganda through his academic board game 5 STA-Z, bringing fun and learning to a community that has been deprived of adequate educational resources and opportunities.
Starting in high school, Baraka gave back through the same channel that had brought him success: education.
Eager to inspire the next generation of Kyangwali students, Baraka seized on a study tool some might dismiss as counterproductive: games.
Soon after beginning his college courses in Madison, Baraka created the board game 5 STA-Z, a product of his startup social enterprise My Home Stars, and the result of working closely with the teachers from his refugee camp's primary school.
Teachers reached out to Baraka asking for more games while schools were shuttered.
After partnering with two primary schools and providing games to over 600 students, more schools began to reach out, and Baraka was able to secure more funding, winning his university's Wisconsin Without Borders award.
Reference
Jamieson, L. (2021, June 12). This Ozy Genius is Making Education in Uganda Delicious. Ozy. https://www.ozy.com/the-new-and-the-next/this-ozy-grant-winner-makes-education-in-uganda-delicious/434637/.