An app developed and made in Oman with the aim of safeguarding children from abuse has received good response not only in the sultanate, but the other GCC states, besides Jordan and Egypt.
The app – named Ziad and Zina – teaches children to deal with situations of abuse through fun games and has been downloaded several hundred times outside Oman.
Committed to children’s right to a safe and happy childhood, Whispers of Serenity Clinic and the ‘Not Alone’ campaign launched the app recently in cooperation with MB Group.
Available in PlayStore and iStore, the app is currently in Arabic. It offers various situations to users, who can choose to play as a boy (Ziad) or a girl (Zina). It tests children’s intelligence, impromptu response, decision-making skills, instincts and cleverness, while training them to deal with awkward or challenging situations when left alone.
“The app teaches children how to respond to dangerous situations with potential abuse and the importance of telling their parents of these situations. Users are presented scenarios of dangerous interactions with strangers, such as what to do if a stranger asks them to step into a car or approached in a park and asked to go somewhere with them. Children score points in the game by making the right decision in these scenarios,” said Iman al Barwani, co-founder of the app.
She informed that the app was very popular in Oman when launched. Currently there is a steady increase in downloads from other GCC and some Arab countries.
