The Children Born of War (CBOW) Project is the result of an unusual, but successful collaboration between two digital game designers and a researcher, that started with the mobile game project called “My Child Lebensborn”. As part of the development, creative producer Elin Festøy (Teknopilot AS) and Professor Dr. Ingvill Constanze Ødegaard (formerly Mochmann), the global leading researcher on Children Born of War and Founder of the “International Network for Interdisciplinary Research on Children Born of War,” started a collaboration for greater visibility and better rights for Children Born of War. Together with lead game designer Catharina Due Bøhler (Sarepta Studio AS), and the help of the Norwegian Lebensborn children, the result is a mobile game that is representative for the suffering of the CBOW-children in Norway from World War II.
Prejudice is the root cause of the suffering for CBOW and creating awareness and knowledge is necessary. With the research and network from Dr. Ødegaard, together with the game’s ability to communicate the topic to a broad audience, this determined trio felt they had a strong starting point to create a platform for international awareness for CBOW. They also concluded that there is a need for a new organization working solely for the rights of these children.
“My Child Lebensborn” has so far sold over 1 million copies and has won the prestigious BAFTA award for “Games Beyond Entertainment.” Teknopilot AS and Sarepta AS are donating part of the proceeds from the game to found The Children Born of War Project so that the engagement of millions of players worldwide can be transformed into actual help for the CBOW of today.
The Children Born of War Project is founded on the belief that awareness and empathy are the best antidotes for prejudice and that through insight and information, we can help these children to be seen and protected for what they are – innocent children.