Youth, particularly those in developing countries, such in the Caribbean region, are especially vulnerable to a broad range of social ills, but in many instances, they are not properly equipped to navigate those challenges. Elizabeth Terry, Project Lead for UNUH, a mobile gaming app that is currently under development, discusses: why develop a game app directed at youth and what is the problem UNUH is trying to address; why “it takes cash to care”; and why she and her team will be playing ‘the long game’ when assessing the impact of UNUH.

 

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Without a doubt, and although in principle they might be more privileged that generations before, teenagers today are still experiencing considerable challenges, and for those at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, a difficult future may already be predestined. Some of the problems today’s youth are experiencing include the following:

  • drug and alcohol use
  • involvement in crime
  • risky sexual behaviour 
  • teen pregnancy 
  • mental illness
  • suicide.

Although these difficulties would have existed in previous decades, today, many of the safety nets, such as the extended family, the church, the community, are not as evident, or are not as prominent in individuals’ lives. Additionally, with the overwhelming focus being on academics, increasingly, the youth are not learning the social and behavioural skills and tools, along with the reasoning, needed to navigate adversities in their lives.

We are resuming our series on technology-based social enterprises – that is, tech businesses that have social impact among their core objectives. In this episode of the Podcast, we will be focussing on gaming.

UNUH is an edutainment game app for youth between the ages of 13 and 18 years old that seeks to empower that age group through mind and behaviour change that will be fostered through a collection of interactive stories. UNUH is still in the process of being developed, and with the Project Lead as our guest, we have an opportunity to look under the hood of a social enterprise that has not yet hit the market.

 

Introducing our guest

Elizabeth Terry

Elizabeth (Liz) Terry is the Project Lead for UNUH. A proud Jamaican by birth and parentage, Liz is passionate about healthy living, her spiritual development, “being the change you want to see” and helping to facilitate personal, organisational and societal transformation. She believes in the concept of sustainable development and living in harmony with Mother Earth and all its inhabitants, since at our core, we are all inter-connected.

Against a professional background of training, Human Resource Development, ICT for Development (ICT4D) and project management, Liz made the decision to pursue training and certification in the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), in order to help deepen her own transformation. This led her to the work in which she is currently passionately engaged – NLP training and coaching for individuals, professionals and leaders.

Liz is a graduate of the Tad James NLP Trainer’s programme, and is a certified Trainer and Master Coach of NLP, Time Line Therapy® and Hypnosis recognized by the American Board of NLP, Time Line Therapy® Association and the American Board of Hypnotherapy. She operates her own company Limitless Transformation Coaching and Training Services Ltd. and is a partner with Think Grow Lead (TGL) in TGL SMILE, where NLP is infused in a unique offering of customer experience training, coaching and consulting.

 

Insights into our conversation

A mobile game targeted at youth to help them learn skills and perspectives, which ultimately could help them to change the course of their lives, can almost seem like a no-brainer. It seems like such an obvious – and needed – tool, but so far, it does not appear that any such tool has been developed, particularly one that in the first instance would be geared to Jamaican and Caribbean youth.

However, the idea that has become UNUH first took hold in Liz in 2010: over 11 years ago! Its current incarnation as a mobile app has been receiving wide acclaim and support – although it is still being developed, and is likely to take at least another six months to a year to have a functioning product. Hence the saying, “Timing is everything” rings true. UNUH’s development seems to be happening at the right time.

Thanks to her work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and non-profits, Liz is has taken to heart the adage, “It takes cash to care”, and so UNUH’s business model has included multiple revenue streams – to ensure sustainability, at the very least. Below are key questions that were posed to Liz during the our conversation.

  1. To start us off, tell us a bit of yourself, and what drove you and the team to develop UNUH?
  2. Do you think of UNUH as a social enterprise? What is the social good or social impact UNUH is pursuing?
  3. What are some of the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) or markers of success that are important to UNUH?
  4. You were declared the winner of the Jamaica national finals of the Entrepreneurship World Cup for your pitch of UNUH! Just give us a sense about that competition, and how might it help in getting UNUH to market?
  5. What are the ways in which UNUH is leveraging technology?
  6. How do you balance the social impact versus the sustainability/profitability imperatives you might have for UNUH?
  7. What has been some of the successes UNUH has been able to realise to date?
  8. What has been the biggest lesson you have had to learn in running UNUH?
  9. How would you describe yourself as the lead for UNUH? What do you consider your greatest strength?
  10. What is the best piece of advice you would give a tech start-up that is wants to start a social enterprise?
  11. Where would you like to see UNUH in the next three years?

 

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Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits: E Terry; Keira Burton (Pexels); Beata Dudová (Pexels); Michael Coghlan (flickr)

Music credit: Ray Holman

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez