Communities
across The Gambia are using chess as a new method to improve children’s
learning.
The
United States Peace Corps, in cooperation with the Gambia Chess Federation, has
introduced chess to more than 30 villages across the nation.
Chess
is a game that helps train the mind like football trains the body. Playing chess can help children improve
skills in mathematics and in logical thinking, according to a report by the
Institute of Education Sciences.
“A
young child can only spend so much time listening to a lecture before their
mind starts to wander, but they always have attention for a game,” said Zachary
Smith, a Peace Corps volunteer. “But,
unlike games like ludo, chess can educate as well as entertain.”
A
D120,000 gender development grant provided volunteers with the supplies they
needed to bring this new learning tool even to remote villages. Volunteers are now planning a youth chess
tournament for later this year, which will allow young Gambians to compete
against one another for prizes.
