Play app help for families

RGP 17Dec15 - Esther Cowley-Malcolm shows off the interactive app Play Kindly. PHOTO/KATEE SHANKS RGP 17Dec15 -

Whakatane's Esther Cowley-Malcolm has launched an interactive app with a definite bro'Town feel.

And that's probably because the app's animation was designed by Ali Cowley, Esther's nephew and animation director for bro'Town, and the script written by Oscar Kightley, bro'Town writer and actor.

Two years ago Esther had just completed her PhD at Victoria University. She was 60 at the time, and the first person to graduate from the university's Pacific Studies programme with a PhD. Her doctoral research was an in-depth exploration of Samoan's parents' perception of, and responses to aggressive behaviour in young children, and the usefulness of an intervention tool called Play Nicely.

Play Kindly was initially in CD-ROM form and used as a conflict resolution tool to guide parents and others working with young children, through strategies and techniques for managing aggressive behaviour. It was always Esther's intention to create an interactive Play Kindly app so, after being named as a Quaker Peace and Service Aotearoa Loxley Award recipient, she used the award money to fund the project.

"Almost everything I do is to serve the communities in which we live, especially the children in those communities. For me it's about making our world a better place."
With no app-building experience at all, Esther decided to "build it and hope they come".

"I had earlier convinced Ali to help me out with the animation, but when the time came to write the script, I mentioned Oscar Kightley and asked if he could possibly be pulled into the project. Goodwill and community spirit prevailed and I got my wish."

She described working with both men as a privilege. "To see Oscar working with the children was incredible,. He was amazing with them."

Play Kindly is a game with relatable characters. All strategies included in the app were researched as part of Ester's PhD. "The neat thing about the app is it can be used for teaching purposes, but is also a great tool for pregnant mums right through to grandparents raising their grandchildren."

Launched on December 5, Esther is promoting the app now while also looking forward to its evaluation. "It will be very exciting to see the potential of the app and how it can impact on communities.

"I have found Pacific Island people to be very resilient, but often there is a lack of resources or a lack of accessibility for those resources. "The Play Kindly app is a free download, is fun to play and includes some great lessons."