Even a small change can make a world of change
Can You Send Poor Kids to School by Playing a Video Game?
by Gil De Palma
by Gil De Palma
When I'm asked if playing a video game can make a difference, I think about 12-year old Rosa Formanes…
Rosa's family can't afford tap water so she gathers water in a pail every time it rains. She seldom gets a square meal a day. Still, Rosa is a consistent honor student and a talented artist.
Her goal? To become a teacher and help her family and other poor children rise from poverty.
With a Little Help from Caritas Manila
Caritas Manila, the lead Catholic agency for social services and development, helps Rosa and 8,000 underprivileged children pursue their dreams.
Some of them are orphans. A few are abandoned children. Others have to work odd jobs at a very young age to help their parents eke out a living.
They come from the poorest of the poor families in the Philippines and they need your help.
WordTrotter Helps, Too!
WordTrotter is a word game, a puzzle game, and a casual-action game rolled into one with a very simple gameplay: catch runaway letters to form a word.
The game is about uncanny word bugs known as WordTrotters that must risk their lives in a perilous quest to find the word that will save the world from the curse of an evil witch.
The quest yields word clues like synonyms, antonyms, and definition, enhancing and upgrading the player's word arsenal in the process.
Heads up! If you fail to catch the right word, a monster will eat you alive.
My name is Gil De Palma, creator of the video game WordTrotter, and I have granted Caritas Manila the free use of my game to help raise funds for the scholars.
I'm pleased to invite you to be a part of our play-to-give drive...
The Play 4 Scholars Project
The project offers an enjoyable and educational way to use the Internet and the word game WordTrotter to raise funds for the scholars of Caritas Manila.
It encourages people to help by simply playing WordTrotter...
FOR EVERY WORD THAT A PLAYER GETS RIGHT, A SPONSOR DONATES ONE CENTAVO TO CARITAS MANILA.
And yes, players get to boost their vocabulary as they help charity!
Here’s how it works:
- The WordTrotter system randomly assigns each online player a partner sponsor that has signed up with Caritas Manila to support the Play 4 Scholars Project.
- For each word that the player gets right, the game displays the sponsor’s name, logo, or brand—showing support for the campaign.
- Caritas Manila will use this information to collect the sponsor’s total monthly donation based on the number of times the system has chosen it and the number of its partner players’ correct answers.
- The sponsor donates directly to Caritas Manila.
Can One Centavo Really Make a Difference?
Though one centavo (roughly USD 0.0002) may seem like a small amount, it's the thousands of people playing WordTrotter for the scholars that really makes a difference.
That's what the WordTrotter Play 4 Scholars Project is all about: bringing together all sectors of society--private citizens, corporations, and even the government--to help send poor kids to school.
Where Donations Go…
Donations to the Play 4 Scholars Project are pooled with other donations to provide the scholars and their families with the following benefits:
- formal and non-formal education--elementary, high school, college, and vocational levels
- values formation for leadership, family life, and environment protection
- sacramental appreciation
- primary health care, nutrition, and crisis intervention
- child rights protection
- livelihood and skills training
- opportunities for self/wage employment
- other socio-economic development programs
How You Can Help
All you have to do is to become the project's "Connector" and spread the word to others.
Of course, don't forget to play WordTrotter for the scholars at:
The Play 4 Scholars Project
It will not cost you a thing, but with every click of your mouse, with every friend that you add, you help send Rosa and 8,000 poor but talented kids to school.
So Can You Make a Difference by Playing a Video Game?
YES! You can help transform lives.
Thank you very much. Let's do this together and show the world that even a small change can make a world of change.
Sincerely,
Gil De Palma
Creator of WordTrotter