Getting up and Running in Dar es Salaam

At the end of our second full day in Dar es Salaam, we’re feeling a bit tired but a lot more confident about achieving our goals! The days have been spent chasing final governmental (COSTECH) clearance to conduct our research (a process we started months ago, but is apparently easiest to finish in person!), meeting Demere’s amazing crew of volunteers at Soma Book Café and E&D Readership and Development Agency, and chasing down our shipment of tablets that have been stuck in customs (and perhaps worse). At night, Hugo and George have made an embarrassing number of fixes (even improvements!) to the suite of educational games, while Kat has found new and creative ways of breaking them (for which we try to be grateful!).

However, our spirits are high: with a complete plan, all of our clearances, some amazing local support, and (some of) the tablets in hand, we are confident we will be able to begin our study on Monday! Meanwhile, you might find us on Zanzibar for the next couple of days with some sand between our toes as we dream up the next game (or finishing those papers we’ve been working on since last year…). Stay tuned! ~George