HappyToto Digital Game, Tanzania, 2020

The 2024 Tanzania national Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS), the second of its kind following the groundbreaking 2009 VACS, revealed significant reductions in violence: sexual violence against girls decreased from 33% in 2009 to 11% in 2024, and sexual violence against boys dropped from 21% to 5% [1]. While these declines indicate remarkable progress, they also show that childhood sexual violence remains a critical issue in Tanzania, with many incidents going unreported due to cultural taboos. 

Parenting support and education and life skills related to childhood sexual violence are two globally-recommended, evidence-based strategies for reducing childhood sexual abuse [2]. Digital games are emerging as effective tools for promoting healthy behaviors among children and may offer a child-friendly, engaging way to initiate conversations about safety and abuse prevention [3].

HappyToto, meaning “Happy Child” in Swahili, is a mobile-based digital game developed for Tanzanian children aged 3 to 5, before they are entirely verbal or can comprehend complex topics like abuse [3]. The game serves as an age-appropriate entry point for educating children and their parents and caregivers about safety and bodily autonomy in a culturally relevant way.

What it is and how it works 

HappyToto is a mobile-based digital game designed to provide culturally sensitive childhood sexual abuse (CSA) prevention education for children aged 3 to 5 in Tanzania (3). The game was co-created with Tanzanian parents, caregivers, child development experts, social workers, psychologists, and teachers to ensure it reflects the lived realities and values of the target community. Aligned with evidence-based guidelines, which recommend limiting screen time for children aged 2–5 to no more than one hour per day of high-quality content [4], HappyToto is designed to deliver impactful messaging within those limits.

At the heart of HappyToto is a collaborative philosophy: keeping children safe requires solutions supporting children and their caregivers. While some parents rely on schools to deliver safety education, HappyToto fosters stronger parent-child communication by giving both parties the tools to talk openly about body safety and boundaries, topics that are often considered taboo.

The game features two main cartoon-style characters, Ibra (a boy) and Elly (a girl), designed to reflect typical Tanzanian children. Additional characters include a mother (heard but not seen), a guest, and a stranger, all helping to model real-life safety scenarios. HappyToto includes three progressive levels with 15 themed screens covering topics such as private parts, safe touch, recognizing unsafe behavior, and identifying trusted adults. It is available in Swahili and English, aligns with screen time guidelines for young children, and offers a secure, engaging platform for children to build safety skills and awareness.

The game uses interactive storytelling and age-appropriate activities to help young children recognize unsafe behavior, understand personal boundaries, and learn how to seek help. By offering short, high-quality learning experiences, it aligns with international guidelines for early childhood screen time.

Leveraging digital technology, HappyToto makes age-appropriate sexual violence prevention messaging accessible in an engaging, child-friendly format. Within a safe virtual environment, children are guided through decision-making and problem-solving exercises that help them practice responding to uncomfortable or dangerous situations, building confidence and laying the foundation for lifelong safety skills.

Evaluation and program outcomes

HappyToto was evaluated in two phases between March and April 2020.

Phase 1 was a needs assessment in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, and other regions conducted through surveys and focus group discussions with parents and caregivers to inform culturally appropriate game development. Phase 2 (Arusha) was a formative evaluation to assess the game's usability, cultural acceptability, and potential to support conversations about childhood sexual abuse prevention (CSAP).

A total of 32 parents of 3- to 5-year-olds and five children aged 3 to 5 (two girls, three boys) tested the mobile app game. They then completed age-appropriate assessments. These assessments measured (i) their enjoyment of the game, (ii) pre- and post-program confidence, and (iii) ability to discuss ‘child sexual abuse’ prevention education. The evaluation process also looked into game usability and cultural acceptability.

The evaluation found HappyToto to be culturally appropriate, engaging, and promising as a learning tool. However, it remains a prototype and is not yet available for public use. Further testing is needed to determine its long-term impact, as there is no current evidence of effectiveness over time.

• Increased parental confidence: After engaging with the game, parents' confidence in discussing CSAP topics with their children improved significantly, from 3.56 (neutral) to 4.9 (confident) out of 10.
• Enhanced communication abilities: Parents reported a notable increase in their ability to converse effectively about CSAP, with ability scores rising from 5.67 to 8.8 out of 10.
• Child engagement: Children found the game enjoyable and were actively engaged in the learning activities, indicating the game's effectiveness in delivering sensitive content in an age-appropriate manner [3].

The HappyToto game shows promise as a digital intervention aiming to improve the knowledge and skills of parents and children in child sexual abuse prevention education. HappyToto’s interactive nature demonstrates the potential to shift attitudes and foster awareness among children and adolescents. The prototype evaluation showed that HappyToto provided participating families with the tools to address child sexual abuse proactively. 

The game is an excellent example of a culturally tailored intervention, ensuring relevance and effectiveness within the Tanzanian context. By facilitating open conversations about childhood sexual abuse prevention in Tanzanian households it has helped to empower both parents and children with essential knowledge. However, more evidence is needed to show the long-term effects and impact on sexual violence [3]. 

Challenges:

• Cultural sensitivity: Talking about body safety and sexual abuse remains highly taboo in many Tanzanian communities. This posed a challenge for developing appropriate content and engaging caregivers. Close collaboration with parents, teachers, and local experts helped ensure the game was culturally acceptable and relevant.
• Digital access: Limited access to digital devices persists in some areas, restricting reach.

Lessons learned:

• Parental engagement: Encouraging parents to participate in digital learning required addressing technological barriers and emphasizing the game's benefits for their children's safety.
• Local partnerships: Local schools and community groups have supported the program’s implementation in Tanzania. Partnerships with educators enhanced the game’s reach and relevance. 
• Sustainability: Securing resources for further evaluation and development of the game from a prototype into an accessible tool that can be integrated into broader educational initiatives would increase its impact.

There is no specific provision in Tanzanian law that prohibits children from accessing mobile-based educational programmes such as Happy Toto. Existing legislation, including the Cybercrime Act 2015, the Law of the Child Act 2009 (as amended in 2024), and the Electronic and Postal Communications Act 2010, provides general protections for children online and offline, but does not set a legal minimum age for mobile phone use [5, 6, 7].

Happy Toto is understood to align with national frameworks, and continued engagement with relevant authorities is encouraged to ensure compliance.