A Senegalese startup is using a new strategy to raise awareness on environmental problems Kayfo is using a video game called Clean My Beach to teach players about the environment.

Julien Herbin founded Kayfo in 2019. It is a video game studio, the first one of its kind in Senegal. The studio has created three games so far. Its last game Clean My Beach is tackling pollution’s impact on the environment. Julien Herbin explains “It is an issue that concerns us all, especially when we see the state of the beaches here in Senegal. It is something that strikes us every time we go to the beach. Due to this, we thought it would be a good point to address in a videogame.”

Clean My Beach is a free game and is sustained by ads. It was developed by Thierno Ndiaye, who studied programming at a private institution in Dakkar. The game insights players to remove trash from the beach and recycle the waste. “The more you play, the more the natural environment will return. Some animals are going to return to the beach making it more beautiful, without a doubt,” Herbin says.

Additionally, the startup is also taking action by planting a tree on behalf of the player with the highest score. This is enabled through it partnership with Ecolibri Senegal, a socio-environmental association. Together, they are planting trees and agaves along Senegal’s coastline.

The video gaming industry is nearly non-existent. However, this is not due to a lack of interest from the general population but from a lack of resources available. The emergence of Kayfo is important for the sector to pick up.