MAG has launched a new mobile game designed to help children in Iraq learn how to stay safe from landmines and explosive remnants of war.
The game – Safe Path – turns explosive ordnance risk education messages into an interactive experience, enabling children to learn how to recognise danger and make safer choices.
Decades of conflict have left communities across Iraq living with the threat of landmines, unexploded bombs and other explosive hazards. Children and families remain at risk in their everyday lives, whether walking to school, farming land or spending time outdoors in areas where explosive remnants of war may still be present.
In Safe Path, players take on the role of a child travelling to school. Along the way, they must identify hazards, avoid dangerous objects and choose safe routes, reinforcing the same messages delivered by MAG’s Community Liaison teams during risk education sessions.
For Mohammed, 14, the familiar setting helped bring the lessons to life: "I liked the idea of riding a bicycle from home to school because it made the game feel close to my everyday life," he said. "At first, I was just enjoying the game, but then I started paying attention to the messages and learned how to make safer decisions."
The launch of the app forms part of MAG’s efforts to use new approaches to deliver risk education in communities affected by explosive ordnance.
Alongside Safe Path, MAG teams in Iraq are also using virtual reality technology to help adults and children understand explosive hazards. The VR experience enables users to safely navigate a simulated minefield, practise identifying dangerous items and learn how to respond without being exposed to real risk.
The immersive experience has already left a strong impression on young participants. Sarshad, 14, added: "It was my first time trying virtual reality. I didn’t feel like I was just learning – I felt like I was part of a real situation and practising how to respond safely."
MAG is introducing these new approaches alongside risk education sessions across Iraq, including with children in Shekhmarien Village and Khanke IDP Camp in Duhok. By combining community engagement with digital tools, our teams are helping people access safety information in new and memorable ways.
MAG’s Community Liaison Officer, Aheen Shaban Ahmmed, said: "Safe Path was designed to engage younger audiences through familiar scenarios and simple decision-making activities. Through this pilot, we explored how digital risk education tools can complement traditional risk education activities and provide an additional channel to reach communities."
For children growing up alongside the legacy of conflict, knowing how to recognise danger can make the difference between a safe journey and a life-changing accident.
Through these innovative approaches, MAG is helping communities build the knowledge they need to stay safe.
This work was made possible with support from the German Federal Foreign Office.
