Inter-University Event: “Africulture Game-Development and Rural Poverty in Africa”

2012年10月28日更新

（Game pieces, money, farm produce,
and other objects used in the simulation game）

On October 27 and 28, the Global Collaboration Center hosted the inter-university event “Africulture Game-Development and Rural Poverty in Africa,” a cross-cultural simulation workshop. Nineteen students from Ochanomizu University and four other institutions (St. Luke’s College of Nursing, Tsuda College, Nara Women’s University, and Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University) took part in this experiential learning opportunity. Leading the workshop were moderator-trainers Hana Kobayashi, K aori Usami, and Takuma Takayama of IC Net, Ltd., three international development professionals with real-world experience in Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

（Participants took the game’s challenges seriously, often
moving about the village to negotiate deals with other families.）

Day 1 of the workshop began with an explanation of the rules of the simulation game, followed by a practice round (year 1). Day 2 consisted of rounds 2 through 4, followed by small-group discussion and summation.

To play the simulation game, participants paired off in teams representing families in the fictional Sub-Saharan African village of Teptep, with each person assigned a role in the family (either husband or wife and children). Using instructions and information that the workshop trainers provided to the men and women separately, and “money,” families had to come up with strategies for annual farm output, domestic chores, their children’s education, and seasonal or migrant labor as necessary. Families could negotiate with one another to exchange labor and farm produce or ask neighbors to look after an infant or prepare a meal. They also took part in community activities under the leadership of a village chief, chosen from among the men. The number of children and infants per family varied, and some households were headed by a single mother.

（Workshop trainers, like this one dressed in traditional
African costume, did an impressive job managing the event.）

Through selection of crops and agricultural inputs like fertilizer and weed control, each household had to produce enough by the end of each year to provide adequate nourishment for all family members. Poor nutrition could increase the risk of illness and even lead to death. Families had to pay to receive medical treatment. A card drawn at random by a trainer at the start of each round established the rainfall and other weather conditions affecting that year’s harvest. At the end of every round (year), each family sold any surplus crops or bought what it needed from other families to make up any shortfall and recorded the balance of farm output and nutritional intake for the year. The simulation yielded a wide range of experiences and outcomes, with one family launching a small business and one person falling ill while living away from home as a migrant worker.

At the end of four rounds, the teams gathered into three groups to discuss their experiences, focusing on such topics as family, community, and gender roles, and presented their conclusions.

Topping off the event was a presentation by Associate Professor Minako Araki of the Faculty of Letters and Education, who has spent years researching and working in Africa. Professor Araki discussed conditions in rural Africa and offered examples of positive action taken by local residents to improve conditions in their own community. Throughout the workshop, which spanned a full day and a half, all participants stayed focused, displaying enthusiasm and creativity as they performed their roles and grappled with issues. It was a valuable experience that is sure to bear fruit as participants pursue their studies and careers in international cooperation.

（A group presentation）

The following is a sampling of feedback comments from participants.

●It was an extremely valuable opportunity for me, since it was the first time I had looked at international development from the perspective of people living in the developing country, as opposed to that of the donor country.
●I was actually enjoying myself while I was in the midst of the game, just figuring out how best to make ends meet. But during the group discussion after the game, I began to see how it applied to the lives of real people, and my heart went out to them.
●I found myself wondering how much insight one could gain into Africa just by playing the game, but it did give me a real gut-level appreciation for the struggle these people face in their daily lives.
●I saw how circumstances force people to view their own children as labor, and it made me conscious of a disconnect between the way we think things should be and the way they are. It also gave me a chance to consider the roles of men and women from a more subjective viewpoint.