Haki: Shield and Defend

Haki, meaning rights or justice in Swahili, is a mobile game series that is not only fun to play but also carries a message with social impact. Shield and Defend, the first installment of the game, deal with environmental protection and has the player save trees from illegal loggers. Kenya has a long history of struggle with environment and conservation. Influential individuals with political ties abuse power to promote rampant illegal grabbing of massive tracks of land, including game reserves and the largest forested areas, Kenya’s natural water towers, while coercing votes in elections to preserve corrupt power. Prof. Wangari Maathai, the founder of the Green Belt Movement in which poor women planted 30 million trees over 30 years, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her courageous work on behalf of sustainable development, democracy, and peace, is the inspiration for this project. While produced in Kenya for Kenyans, the game looks to the surrounding region, as issues faced by one African country are often shared by others. Haki: Shield and Defend, spread a critical message using simple means: saving trees make you a hero, so take this message outside of the game and live it in the day to day life.

Project Lead: Nathan Muema Masyuko
Location: Kenya
Project Year: Winning Projects 2012
Project Category: Go Green!
Ranking: Winner