Sonam shaping futures through play

IMAGINE a board game so engaging that children don’t even realize they’re learning. Meet Sonam Badiani, the Tanzanian innovator behind “The Brain Game,” a creation poised to revolutionize how young minds engage with education.

In a recent interview with Woman Magazine, Sonam shared the inspiration behind her innovation and the many benefits it offers.

She said the inspiration stemmed directly from her experiences in the classroom. Observing the power of play and the natural curiosity of children, she envisioned a way to seamlessly blend fun with curriculum-based knowledge.

“I created The Brain Game to help children engage with learning in a fun, interactive way. I wanted to tap into their inherent love for games to make subjects like Math, English, Science, and History come alive,” she said .

This vision culminated in a game featuring over 400 questions across 11 subjects from the upper primary curriculum, designed to build not just academic skills but also essential life skills.

Beyond strengthening academic skills, The Brain Game fosters key life skills such as communication, problemsolving, resilience, and patience.

During testing, Sonam observed children erupting in cheers as they correctly answered a challenging math question, their faces lighting up with a mix of triumph and newfound understanding.

“The goal is to build a complete ‘brain’ by answering questions from different categories,” Sonam said.

“Action cards like ‘Take’, ‘Wild’, and ‘Swap’ add an exciting strategic element, keeping the gameplay dynamic and unpredictable.”

For the first time, The Brain Game will be available in Tanzania, with the official launch expected between mid-June and mid-July.

It will be sold online and at select schools, in Dar es Salaam. Inclusivity is at the heart of The Brain Game’s design. It is colour-blind friendly and offers a range of question difficulties to suit different learning levels, making it accessible and challenging for children and adults alike.

The game includes five different boards representing parts of the brain and is designed for two to five players aged nine and up.

Players roll the dice, select categories, answer questions, and navigate surprise moves, all racing to be the first to build a complete brain. Sonam’s passion for education is rooted in her own journey.

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Born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, she attended Haven of Peace Academy before moving to the United Kingdom at the age of 12.

There, she continued her education, completed university, and qualified as a primary school teacher. Her own experience navigating a new education system in England instilled in her the importance of making learning accessible and engaging for all, a principle evident in the game’s inclusive design.

Driven by a lifelong dream to make a difference through education, Sonam has worked across the world, from an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Moscow, Russia, to classrooms in Cambodia and Mexico.

Her philosophy as an educator is simple yet powerful, “Learning should be fun, inclusive, and challenging for all students.” “Education is not just about imparting knowledge,” she said.

“It’s about sparking a lifelong love for learning, developing resilience, and inspiring curiosity that children carry with them into the future.”

She said that The Brain Game was born from this vision, crafted directly from the creativity Sonam witnessed daily in her own classroom. Sonam’s journey would not have been possible without the unwavering support of her family, her sister Bejul Badiani, her mother Sheila Badiani, and her father Vinesh Badiani.

“They have been incredibly supportive and excited about bringing The Brain Game to life,” she said. “Their encouragement has meant the world to me.” With “The Brain Game” ready to launch, Sonam Badiani isn’t just introducing a new pastime; she’s sowing the seeds of a more engaged and empowered generation of learners in Tanzania and, hopefully, beyond.

Sonam was born in Tanzania and was always fascinated by education from a young age. At only twelve years of age, she took a brave step and moved away from her family to England as she received an opportunity to study at a grammar school.

This is where her thirst for travelling had initially begun. She successfully graduated with a First-Class Psychology Undergraduate Degree and then pursued a PGCE, where she achieved an Outstanding overall.

Sonam champions a holistic learning approach, believing children thrive through creative and engaging activities.

She carefully integrates cross-curricular learning into her lessons and continuously researches new ways of providing enriching opportunities so that children can further develop their skills.

Sonam is inspired by Michelle Obama who once quoted, “failure is an important part of growth and developing resilience. Do not be afraid to fail.”

She therefore strives to help children challenge themselves and become risk-takers, without the fear of failing and being judged.

She motivates children to develop their curiosity, emotional intelligence, and self-confidence so that innovation and investigation become a natural part of their learning.

Sonam is extremely passionate about travelling the world, exploring new places, and meeting new people. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, painting, and playing badminton. She speaks Swahili, Gujarati, and Hindi fluently.