The South African social enterprise company CompuTainer has developed an entertainment-education initiative involving the creation of a deck of playing cards and various board games in an effort to raise levels of HIV and AIDS awareness in the workplace, home, and community centres throughout Africa. (Note: The playing cards are the sole intellectual property of CompuTainer and Synergy Health).

Focused on a broad audience, the cards have been built around a central soccer theme. HIV and AIDS awareness themes introduced by individual drawings include: abstinence, being faithful, and wearing condoms. Added themes on healthy lifestyles and related social behaviours are: gender issues, exposing myths, good nutrition, regular exercise, living positively, exposing risky behaviour, promoting voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), and positive leadership. The back of the playing cards are designed so that the backs may be customised for the client with corporate logos and branding, or other HIV and AIDS messaging. (Note: The minimum order for standard cards is 1,000 decks; for customised cards, the minimum order is 1,500.)

Specifically, the two board games that have been developed by E-d-Unique (and are marketed and sold by CompuTainer) include:

1. Stepping Stones - designed for children aged 7 to 11 years with the aim of helping players have fun while learning about HIV and AIDS, how infection happens, and what can be done to prevent it. The game is available for schools and family HIV and AIDS education.
2. Choices & Consequences - designed for adults and teens and available for HIV/AIDS and sex education in companies, tertiary institutions, secondary schools, and family groups.

CompuTainer is engaged in a number of endeavours beyond that described above; one
communication-focused initiative involves the creation of an interactive CD and DVD collection including content relating to e-Health - part of an effort to bring high-quality digital education to governments, corporations, and individuals. Click here for more information.

Emails from Mark Van der Merwe to The Communication Initiative on July 29 2007 and February 11 2008; and CompuTainer website.