A Ghanaian innovator, Amanda Kporwofa, has created ATi, the first board and mobile games in Ghana designed to tackle deforestation and illegal mining (galamsey). Her mission is simple—use gaming to make sustainability education engaging and relatable for all ages.
How the Games Work
ATi blends fun with environmental lessons:
- Red spaces represent harmful activities like galamsey, logging, and charcoal burning.
- Green spaces reward eco-friendly practices such as tree planting, clean energy use, and afforestation.
The mobile version adds a global edge with AI opponents and leaderboards, making it especially attractive to young players.
Rooted in Ghanaian Identity
Amanda designed ATi with Ghanaian culture at its core. Characters bear local names like Nana, Atta, and Asibi, and in-game transactions use pesewas. These details make the lessons feel authentic and closer to home.
From Classroom Idea to National Project
The journey started in 2024 as a simple board game for a class project. Positive feedback from schools inspired Amanda to expand it into a mobile app. To drive it nationwide, she founded the Eco Games Foundation, set to officially launch both versions in November. The mobile game is expected on the Google Play Store by the end of the year.
Supporting Ghana’s Green Agenda
ATi aligns with government and community efforts such as:
- The Green Ghana tree-planting campaign
- The fight against galamsey
- The Blue Water Guard project protecting rivers
It also supports six UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate action, sustainable cities, and quality education.
Deforestation and illegal mining continue to threaten Ghana’s rivers, forests, and livelihoods. ATi turns these pressing issues into an interactive learning experience for schools, NGOs, and families. “We wanted people to see themselves and their communities reflected in the gameplay so sustainability becomes something they can own,” Amanda explains.
About Amanda Kporwofa
Amanda is a former student of UNIMAC-IJ (GIJ) and currently a PhD student at the University of Cincinnati in the U.S., where her research focuses on gaming, communication, and environmental technology. She also works as a lab assistant in the Games Lab, assisting with game design and research. She holds a Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Her passion stems from witnessing firsthand the devastating effects of galamsey and deforestation—extreme heat, polluted rivers, and land degradation—which inspired her to design this tool for change.
