EDUCATIONAL & FUN

A new mobile game for children has become very popular in Thailand. Just a few weeks after its launch in January 2014, it was the most downloaded educational app in Thailand, with more than 22,000 downloads.

Called "Flood Fighter", the mobile game has a Thai virtual hero who has to avoid electrocution, drowning and even crocodiles. The game aims to teach children across Asia about the dangers of floods.

Thailand was hit by severe floods in 2011 that killed more than 800 people and left millions homeless. To prevent more deaths from future floods, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) launched Flood Fighter to teach children about ways to survive and cope during a flood. Flood Fighter can be downloaded free of charge for smartphones and tablet computers.

The concept is simple: the house of Sai Fah, the virtual hero, has flooded. He must complete missions during 22 episodes before, during and after the flood, each one carrying a message of prevention.

The tasks include stocking essential items, putting important belongings high up, not drinking unboiled water, cutting the electricity supply, as well as avoiding snakes and crocodiles.

An English-language version of the game has been launched so that the message can be spread in other Asian countries affected by floods, such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines. At least 4,000 downloads were recorded in the initial weeks. Those countries are drenched by annual monsoon rains that regularly cause floods.

Featured image: AFP TV