Dondza

The educational system in Mozambique faces a range of challenges that impact the quality and effectiveness of teaching. Key issues include:

• High Illiteracy Rates: Approximately 40% of the Mozambican population is illiterate, indicating a critical need for accessible educational resources and improved teaching methods.
• Prolonged Time to Complete Primary Education: On average, it takes a child in Mozambique twice as long to complete primary school, demonstrating systemic issues in the educational process.
• Limited Educational Advancement: According to UNICEF (2020a), one in five children aged 11 has never advanced beyond the first grade in primary school. This indicates severe bottlenecks in the educational pathway and a lack of support for student progression.

• Lack of Quality Educational Resources: Many schools struggle with outdated teaching materials and limited resources, making it hard for teachers to engage students effectively.
• Student Disengagement: Many children show little interest in school due to a lack of motivating teaching methods, leading to low attendance and poor academic performance.
• Learning Difficulties: Students with special educational needs face additional challenges due to limited support and resources tailored to their needs.
• Limited Progress Monitoring: Teachers and parents often lack effective tools to track student progress, hindering their ability to provide the right guidance and support.

Our solution, Dondza, addresses these challenges by offering a range of educational games that are engaging, accessible, and designed to promote meaningful learning. Here's how Dondza tackles the key issues:

• Engagement and Motivation: Dondza games are designed to be fun and interactive, capturing students' attention and encouraging them to learn through play.
• Accessibility: Dondza is designed to be widely accessible, ensuring that children from various backgrounds and locations can benefit from the educational experience.
• Personalization and Adaptability: Dondza offers customizable difficulty levels and content, allowing teachers to tailor the learning experience to individual students' needs.
• Support for Inclusion: Dondza provides resources and tools to support students with special educational needs, promoting inclusivity and equal learning opportunities.
• Progress Monitoring: Dondza includes features that allow teachers and parents to track student progress, monitor learning outcomes, and identify areas where additional support is needed. This enables educators and parents to guide students more effectively and make informed decisions about their education.

With Dondza, Tivane Game Studio aims to transform the educational landscape in Mozambique, offering a solution that addresses key challenges while enabling teachers and parents to monitor and support student progress effectively.

Our solution, Dondza, serves children in Mozambique, particularly those in primary education and those with special educational needs. It also extends to teachers, parents, and the broader educational community. Here's a breakdown of the target population and the ways our solution will impact their lives:

Target Population:

• Children: Dondza is designed for children in primary education, with a focus on those struggling with traditional learning methods. This includes children in under-resourced schools, rural areas, and those with special educational needs.
• Teachers: The solution provides teachers with innovative tools and resources to engage students, improve teaching methods, and track student progress more effectively.
• Parents: Dondza offers parents insights into their children's learning progress and provides them with interactive educational content to use at home.

Current Underserved Aspects:

• Limited Access to Quality Education: A significant portion of Mozambican children face barriers to quality education due to outdated resources, overcrowded classrooms, and limited teaching aids.
• High Illiteracy Rates and Low Academic Progress: With about 40% of the population being illiterate and many children taking twice as long to complete primary school, there's a pressing need for solutions that can accelerate learning and keep children engaged.
• Inadequate Support for Special Educational Needs: Students with learning difficulties or other special needs often lack the resources and support to succeed in traditional educational settings.

How Dondza Addresses These Needs:

• Engaging and Fun Learning Experiences: Dondza offers games and activities that make learning enjoyable, encouraging children to stay engaged and motivated.
• Customizable and Adaptive Content: The solution allows teachers to tailor educational content to meet the diverse needs of their students, accommodating different learning styles and abilities.
• Progress Monitoring Tools: Dondza provides tools for teachers and parents to track student progress, identify areas for improvement, and offer additional support where needed.
• Inclusive Education: Dondza is designed with inclusivity in mind, offering resources and support for children with special educational needs, ensuring they have equal opportunities to learn and succeed.

By serving this target population, Dondza aims to create a positive and lasting impact on the educational landscape in Mozambique, contributing to improved literacy rates, better academic outcomes, and a more inclusive educational environment.

Our team at Tivane Game Studio is uniquely positioned to deliver the Dondza solution because we have deep roots and a personal connection to the communities we aim to serve. Here's how our team’s experiences, and partnerships ensure we can effectively design and deliver this solution:

Proximity to the Communities:

• Growing Up in Manhiça: Three of our team members(Including Team leader) grew up in Manhiça, a district known for its distance from the city and its relative poverty. This upbringing has provided them with firsthand experience of the challenges faced by rural communities in Mozambique. They understand the unique barriers these communities face in accessing quality education and have lived the realities of limited resources.
• Understanding Special Educational Needs: One of our team members has a sister with special educational needs, providing a personal insight into the struggles and requirements of those with similar challenges. This experience brings a unique perspective to our team, guiding us in creating solutions that are truly inclusive and accessible to all.

Representation of the Community:

• Cultural Relevance: Because several team members have grown up in the same areas where we aim to make an impact, we have a deep understanding of the local culture, customs, and language. This ensures that our educational games are culturally relevant and relatable to the children we serve.
• Partnership with CERCI: Our collaboration with CERCI (Associação de Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos Inadaptados), a school dedicated to education and rehabilitation for people with special needs, demonstrates our commitment to inclusion and accessibility. This partnership allows us to gather valuable insights and feedback, ensuring our solution addresses the unique needs of students with disabilities.

Commitment to Local Impact:

• Addressing Local Challenges: Having experienced the challenges firsthand, our team is committed to addressing the root causes of educational disparities in Mozambique. Our personal connections to these communities drive our passion to create a solution that genuinely makes a difference.
• Empowering Local Voices: By involving community members in our design process, we ensure that our solution addresses the unique needs and concerns of these communities. This collaborative approach not only strengthens our solution but also fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment within the communities.

Through our team's diverse  personal experiences, and close connection to the communities we serve, along with our partnership with CERCI, we believe we are well-positioned to design and deliver the Dondza solution effectively, making a meaningful impact on education in Mozambique.

We selected the "Pilot" stage because our solution, Dondza, has been launched in two schools, serving a total of 64 students. This marks a significant step beyond the conceptual and prototype stages, as we're actively testing our product in real-world educational environments.

Here's what we've accomplished so far:

• Pilot Launch in Two Schools: We initiated our pilot in two schools, providing Dondza to teachers and students for a hands-on learning experience. This launch allows us to gather valuable feedback from actual users and refine our solution based on their needs.

• Serving 64 Students: Our pilot has engaged 64 students, giving us a meaningful base to evaluate the effectiveness of our educational games. This diverse group of beneficiaries includes students from various backgrounds, allowing us to assess Dondza's impact on a broad scale.

• Collaboration with Teachers and Parents: During the pilot, we've worked closely with teachers and parents to understand their perspectives on Dondza. This collaboration has helped us identify areas for improvement and adapt our approach to meet the needs of the educational community.

• Iterative Development: The feedback gathered from our pilot schools has guided our iterative development process. We are continuously refining our games and adding features to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.

This stage allows us to evaluate the practical application of Dondza, measure its impact on student engagement and learning, and make informed decisions for future growth and expansion. As we continue to test and refine our solution, we are building a solid foundation for broader adoption in other schools and communities.

We are applying to Solve because we believe that Solve's network of partners and resources can help us overcome specific barriers that are hindering our ability to scale and maximize the impact of our solution, Dondza. While funding is always helpful, we are particularly interested in the non-monetary support that Solve offers, such as technical expertise, mentorship, and access to a broader network of like-minded innovators and potential collaborators.

Here are the key barriers we face and how we hope Solve can help us overcome them:

1. Technical Expertise: While we have a strong team, we would benefit from technical mentorship and advice on optimizing our games for broader adoption. We believe Solve's network can connect us with experts who can guide us on best practices for software development, user experience, and scalability.

2. Market Barriers: As a startup in Mozambique, we face challenges in reaching a wider audience and gaining market traction. Solve's connections with educational institutions, NGOs, and other stakeholders in the education sector can help us expand our reach and establish meaningful partnerships.

3. Cultural Relevance and Inclusivity: Our solution aims to be inclusive and culturally relevant, especially for children with special educational needs. Solve can provide us with insights and best practices from other successful projects that focus on inclusivity, allowing us to refine our approach and ensure we are meeting the needs of all learners.

4. Networking and Collaboration: We believe that Solve's community of innovators can offer invaluable opportunities for collaboration. By connecting with other Solver teams and partners, we can learn from their experiences, share knowledge, and potentially form strategic partnerships that benefit all parties involved.

5.Financial Resources: While we are committed to our
mission, sustaining our work with an 8-person team over the past year
has been challenging. We need funding to cover operational costs,
including salaries, equipment, and other expenses. Solve's financial
support would help ensure we can continue developing and improving
Dondza while focusing on scaling.

Our goal in applying to Solve is to leverage its resources, expertise, and network to strengthen our solution, address the barriers we face, and ultimately make a lasting impact on education in Mozambique. We believe that by working with Solve, we can bring Dondza to a broader audience and contribute to the larger goal of improving educational outcomes and inclusion for all children.

Our solution, Dondza, is innovative because it brings a fresh approach to educational tools by using interactive games to foster learning, engagement, and inclusion in Mozambique. Here's what makes Dondza stand out and how it could drive broader positive impacts:

1. Gamification of Education: Dondza transforms traditional learning methods by integrating game mechanics into the educational process. By turning educational content into interactive games, we make learning more engaging and enjoyable for students, increasing their motivation and participation. This innovative approach is designed to improve retention and comprehension, which can ultimately lead to better educational outcomes.

2. Culturally Relevant Content: Our games are designed with Mozambique's unique culture and context in mind. By incorporating local stories, characters, and themes, Dondza resonates with students, creating a deeper connection with the educational content. This cultural relevance not only enhances learning but also fosters a sense of pride and identity among students.

3. Focus on Inclusivity and Accessibility: Dondza is built to be inclusive, offering educational opportunities to children with special needs and those from underserved communities. Our partnership with schools like CERCI allows us to design games that cater to various learning styles and abilities, ensuring no child is left behind. This focus on inclusivity sets Dondza apart from conventional educational tools and can serve as a model for other educational initiatives.

4. Data-Driven Progress Monitoring: Dondza includes features that allow teachers and parents to monitor student progress. By providing insights into individual learning patterns and areas of improvement, we empower educators and parents to offer targeted support. This data-driven approach can lead to more effective teaching strategies and improved educational outcomes.

5. Community-Centric Development: Our solution is developed with direct input from the communities we serve. We collaborate with teachers, parents, and students to ensure our games align with their needs and expectations. This community-centric approach not only makes our solution more relevant but also creates a sense of ownership, encouraging broader adoption and impact.

Catalyzing Broader Positive Impacts: By demonstrating the effectiveness of gamification in education, Dondza has the potential to inspire other educational organizations to adopt similar approaches. This could lead to a shift in the educational landscape, where interactive and culturally relevant learning becomes the norm. Additionally, our focus on inclusivity could encourage broader efforts to create educational solutions that are accessible to all, regardless of their background or abilities.

Overall, Dondza's innovative approach combines gamification, cultural relevance, inclusivity, and data-driven insights to create a solution that not only enhances learning but also has the potential to catalyze broader positive changes in the education sector.

Our solution, Dondza, is designed to impact the problem of limited access to quality education and low engagement in learning by introducing gamified educational experiences that are inclusive and culturally relevant. Here's our theory of change, linking our activities to immediate outputs and longer-term outcomes for our target population in Mozambique:

• Development of Educational Games: We create interactive educational games that cover a range of subjects, from math to history, designed to engage students and improve their learning experience.
• Collaboration with Schools and Educators: We work closely with schools, teachers, and parents to ensure our games align with educational goals and curriculum requirements. This collaboration helps us adapt our content to meet the specific needs of our target population.
• Inclusion and Accessibility: We design our games to be accessible to children with special needs and those from underserved communities. Our partnership with CERCI, a school specializing in education and rehabilitation for people with special needs, ensures that our games are inclusive.

• Increased Student Engagement: Our games' interactive nature and culturally relevant content lead to higher student engagement and motivation to learn. This is supported by feedback from our pilot programs, where teachers reported increased participation and interest among students.
• Improved Learning Outcomes: By turning educational content into fun and engaging games, we expect students to better understand and retain the material. Teachers have observed improved performance in subjects where Dondza games are used.
• Data-Driven Insights: Our games provide teachers and parents with data on student progress, allowing them to identify areas of strength and weakness. This immediate output helps educators tailor their teaching approaches to individual student needs.

• Enhanced Educational Experience: By making learning enjoyable and engaging, Dondza aims to transform the educational experience for students in Mozambique, leading to greater enthusiasm for education and lower dropout rates.
• Reduced Educational Inequalities: Our focus on inclusion and accessibility aims to reduce educational inequalities by providing quality learning opportunities to children with special needs and those from underserved areas. This contributes to a more equitable education system.
• Stronger Educational Community: Through collaboration with schools, teachers, and parents, we foster a community-driven approach to education. This strengthens relationships and encourages ongoing feedback and improvement.

• Third-Party Research: Studies on gamification in education have shown that interactive learning can significantly improve student engagement and learning outcomes.
• Pilot Program Feedback: Feedback from teachers, parents, and students in our pilot programs has been overwhelmingly positive, indicating that our approach resonates with the target population.
• Partnerships and Collaboration: Our ongoing partnerships with schools and educational institutions provide a solid foundation for continuous improvement and scalability.

By linking our activities to immediate outputs and longer-term outcomes, our theory of change demonstrates how Dondza aims to create a positive impact on education in Mozambique, addressing both short-term challenges and contributing to broader systemic change.

Our impact goals for Dondza, our educational gaming solution, are designed to improve educational outcomes for children in Mozambique, particularly those from underserved communities and children with special needs. We aim to transform the educational experience and create a more inclusive learning environment. Here are our specific impact goals and how we are measuring our progress toward them:

1. Increase Student Engagement in Learning: We aim to boost students' interest and participation in educational activities by providing interactive and engaging educational games.
2. Improve Educational Outcomes: Our goal is to improve students' understanding and retention of academic content, leading to better performance in school.
3. Enhance Inclusivity in Education: We aim to create a more inclusive educational experience for children with special needs and those from underserved communities.
4. Foster Community Collaboration: We aim to build a stronger educational community by fostering collaboration between schools, teachers, parents, and students.

To track our progress toward these impact goals, we have established specific indicators and metrics that provide a clear view of our solution's impact:

1. Student Engagement:

   • Indicator: Percentage of students who report increased engagement in learning activities.
   • Measurement Method: We conduct surveys and collect feedback from teachers and students to assess engagement levels.

2. Educational Outcomes:

   • Indicator: Improvement in student performance in subjects where Dondza is used.
   • Measurement Method: We compare students' academic results before and after using Dondza, focusing on grades, test scores, and teacher evaluations.

3. Inclusivity and Accessibility:

   • Indicator: Number of children with special needs or from underserved communities who benefit from Dondza.
   • Measurement Method: We track the demographics of students using our games and collaborate with schools specializing in special education to ensure inclusivity.

4. Community Collaboration:

   • Indicator: Number of partnerships established with schools, teachers, and educational institutions.
   • Measurement Method: We monitor our partnerships and collaborations, focusing on the level of community engagement and feedback.

By consistently monitoring these indicators, we can assess our progress toward achieving our impact goals. Additionally, we use this data to make informed decisions about improving our solution and ensuring we create a transformational impact on education in Mozambique. Our goal is to build a sustainable, scalable solution that addresses the educational challenges faced by many children in the country, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and effective education system.

The core technology that powers our solution, Dondza, is a combination of modern software development practices and culturally relevant content, designed to create interactive educational games that address the learning needs of children in Mozambique. Here’s an overview of the key technology elements that underpin our solution:

Our primary technology involves the use of game development platforms and tools to create interactive educational games. We use industry-standard software for game design, development, and testing, ensuring our games are engaging and reliable. This software allows us to create a variety of game genres, from puzzles to simulations, and integrate educational content seamlessly into these formats.

Dondza includes a data analytics component that enables us to collect and analyze information on student progress and engagement. This technology allows teachers and parents to monitor student performance, providing valuable insights into learning patterns and areas for improvement. By leveraging data analytics, we can continually refine our games and tailor the educational experience to meet the needs of different learners.

Our technology incorporates inclusive design principles to ensure accessibility for children with special needs and those from underserved communities. We use adaptive design techniques to create games that can be enjoyed by all children, regardless of their abilities. This focus on accessibility aligns with modern technology trends that emphasize inclusivity and universal design.

To foster collaboration and community engagement, we use communication and collaboration tools that enable us to work closely with schools, teachers, and parents. These tools facilitate ongoing feedback and input, allowing us to continuously improve our solution based on the needs and preferences of our target audience.

A unique aspect of our technology is the integration of culturally relevant content. We draw upon local stories, themes, and imagery to create games that resonate with Mozambican children. This approach leverages traditional knowledge systems and combines them with modern technology, creating an educational experience that is both engaging and culturally meaningful.

While Dondza currently focuses on game development and data analytics, we plan to explore additional technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), to enhance the educational experience. These emerging technologies offer exciting possibilities for creating immersive learning environments and further engaging students.

Overall, the technology that powers Dondza is a blend of modern game development, data analytics, inclusive design, and cultural relevance. By using this technology, we aim to create a solution that not only improves educational outcomes but also addresses the broader challenges facing education in Mozambique. Our goal is to leverage technology to benefit people and create a more inclusive and effective educational system.

• Full-time staff: 4
• Part-time staff: 4
• Contractors or other workers: 1

Our project began in 2019, but we started working on it with greater

focus and commitment in 2023. This means we have been actively and
seriously working on our solution for about one year. However, the
initial idea and development efforts date back approximately four years.

At Tivane Game Studio, we embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion to

create a welcoming environment for all team members. Our team comprises
eight people, including 4 women. We are committed to equal
opportunities, inclusive recruitment practices, and providing support
for professional development. Our workplace culture fosters respect and
open communication, ensuring everyone feels valued. We aim to
continuously improve by promoting mentorship, inclusive training, and
increased representation of underrepresented groups in leadership
positions. By doing so, we create a team that reflects our community and
provides opportunities for all.

Our business model is centered around providing educational value to children in Mozambique through our interactive games while generating revenue through a combination of product sales and partnerships with educational institutions. We aim to create a sustainable business model that supports the long-term growth of our solution and maximizes its impact.

Our primary customers are schools, parents, and individual learners. These groups are also our key beneficiaries, as they directly benefit from the educational content and resources we provide. Our solution is designed to meet the needs of children in Mozambique, particularly those with limited access to high-quality education.

The core product we offer is Dondza, a series of educational games that cover a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, language, history, and more. These games are designed to be engaging and culturally relevant, making learning fun and effective. We offer Dondza in two formats:

1. School Model: This model is designed for schools and educational institutions. We partner with schools to integrate our games into their curriculum, providing teachers with tools to monitor student progress and adapt learning experiences to individual needs. Schools pay a subscription fee for access to our platform.

2. Home Model: This model is tailored for parents and individual learners. It allows parents to purchase and download our games for use at home, enabling children to continue learning outside of school hours. This model generates revenue through one-time purchases or subscriptions.

Our solution provides unique value by offering educational content that is culturally relevant and engaging for Mozambican children. By using interactive games, we make learning enjoyable, increasing student engagement and retention of knowledge. Additionally, our data analytics feature allows teachers and parents to track student progress and identify areas for improvement.

We generate revenue through a combination of subscription fees from schools and one-time purchases or subscriptions from individual learners. Our partnerships with educational institutions and community organizations provide a stable source of income, allowing us to sustain our operations and continue developing new content.

We distribute our games through digital platforms, allowing easy access and scalability. Schools and individual learners can download our games directly from our website or app store, ensuring a seamless experience. We also provide support and training to schools to ensure effective integration into the curriculum.

Mozambique's education system faces significant challenges, including high rates of illiteracy and limited access to quality educational resources. Our solution addresses these issues by providing an engaging and effective way to learn. Schools benefit from our partnership by gaining access to innovative teaching tools, while parents appreciate the ability to support their children's education at home. Overall, our business model aims to create a positive impact on education in Mozambique while maintaining financial sustainability.

Our plan for financial sustainability involves a combination of revenue streams, including product sales, partnerships with educational institutions, and grants. We believe that a diverse mix of income sources will provide a stable foundation for our operations and allow us to grow our impact over time.

Our primary source of revenue comes from the sale of our educational games through two business models:

1. School Partnerships (B2B): We partner with schools and educational institutions to integrate our educational games into their curriculum. Schools pay a subscription fee for access to our platform, generating recurring revenue. This model has been successful so far, with our pilot programs in two schools providing early evidence of demand and interest.

2. Individual Sales (B2C): We also sell our educational games directly to parents and individual learners through one-time purchases or subscriptions. This model provides additional revenue, particularly from parents who want to support their children's education at home.

In addition to our revenue-generating activities, we also pursue grants and donations to support our work. We have received some initial grants that have helped us fund our product development and pilot programs. These grants demonstrate that our solution aligns with broader educational and social impact goals, indicating that we are on the right path.

To ensure long-term financial sustainability, we are focusing on the following key strategies:

1. Expanding School Partnerships: By increasing the number of schools that use our platform, we aim to build a steady and growing stream of subscription-based revenue. This involves building strong relationships with educational institutions and demonstrating the value of our product through successful pilot programs.

2. Increasing Individual Sales: We are exploring additional distribution channels and marketing strategies to reach more parents and individual learners. This includes partnerships with community organizations and targeted marketing campaigns to raise awareness of our products.

3. Diversifying Revenue Streams: In addition to our core revenue-generating activities, we are exploring other potential income sources, such as service contracts with government agencies or corporate sponsorships. By diversifying our revenue streams, we aim to reduce financial risk and ensure stability.

Our pilot programs in two schools have provided early evidence of success, with positive feedback from teachers and students. This feedback has encouraged us to continue expanding our reach and refining our product offerings. Additionally, our initial grants demonstrate that external organizations believe in our mission and are willing to support our work financially.

Overall, our plan for financial sustainability is to create a balanced approach that combines revenue-generating activities with additional funding sources. This strategy will enable us to continue our work and expand our impact on education in Mozambique.