Durban - “We were compelled to do something to help the future generation fix this broken world that our generation is giving them,” said Mind Blown League co-founder Viroshen Chetty.
Mind Blown League was founded by Viroshen and Nireshnee Chetty and first developed in 2016. Between 2016 and 2019, Nireshnee said, they launched the pilot project, going to schools around Durban, to help address the science problem in the country.
“When we went to the schools, they said they don’t like to read, but to play games. We wanted to devise a way they could become science curious and eco-aware,” she said, adding that they used the Grade 4-12 syllabus in their plans for the game.
“How do we get young people to learn about climate change and be interested beyond learning for an exam? We tried to get them interested so we could try to create solutions for our communities,” Nireshnee said.
In 2019-2020, the Mind Blown League received R650 000 in funding from the Technology Innovation Agency. Last year, they received R450 000 from the SAB Foundation. She said the first round of funding was for a mobile game and then last year’s funding was used for card collectibles.
The Mind Blown League was officially launched on August 11, at the Durban International Book Fair. Nireshnee said the game would be free and available on the Google Play Store for all Android users.
“We tried to make it more interactive. We are creating science curiosity and eco-awareness,” she added. “We are the generation that has to do something about climate change because the window of opportunity is closing fast.”
Echoing former US president Barack Obama’s words, she added: “We are the first generation to feel the effects of it and the last generation who can do anything about it.”
With 5 000 pupils and 100 schools in eThekwini already part of the experience, Mind Blown League aims to establish 1 000 school clubs in South Africa by 2025. They hope to grow their footprint worldwide, inspiring science and nature-curiosity, and nurturing millions of young people to work towards finding green solutions.
The start-up has garnered prestigious awards, including the Seed Award at the SAB Foundation Social Innovation Awards in 2022 and an innovation grant from the Technology and Innovation Agency.
For more information, visit www.mindblownleague.com.
The Independent on Saturday