Usiku Games, the developers Gumzo, Africa’s first videoconferencing platform, have made the entire system free of charge to the general public for the holidays. This is in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during this festive season, as most people are travelling upcountry.
Usiku Games was established in Kenya in 2019 with a vision of creating a positive social impact in local communities through innovative digital entertainment solutions.
The platform will partner with USAID sponsored campaign, Zawadi ya Maisha, whose aim is to encourage families to connect via video conferencing instead of traveling upcountry. The campaign’s slogan is share moments without sharing the virus in a secure and reliable manner.
According to Jay Shapiro, Founder, and CEO, Usiku Games, sharing moments on Gumzo’s virtual platform provides an opportunity to save more lives from the contagious Covid-19 virus.
“We know that most families in urban areas are anxious to travel upcountry to share Christmas festivities, and see their folks. We believe that making our video conferencing accessible to all for free, we will enable most families to share moments virtually rather than risk unintentionally spreading the virus to grandparents and loved ones. In support of this cause, we shall offer free access through the Christmas holidays into new year’s,” he added.
The video conferencing system supports visual interaction for users, allows groups to watch shared movies and play party games together with loved ones, especially during these times when social distancing is encouraged.
The company has previously committed that 50 percent of all fees raised on the platform will be donated to Covid-19 response efforts in Kenya, by NGOs including the Pwani Youth Network, Team Pankaj & Mombasa Red Cross.