Alzheimer’s Association of Kenya: Unjumbling The Mind

Alzheimer’s affects many people as they age, robbing their memories, their dignity, and eventually, their lives. Keeping a patient’s mind active can help to alleviate symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. In Kenya, Alzheimer’s is rarely diagnosed, and even when it is, the patients and their families have nowhere to go. We wanted to raise awareness on the disease itself, and tell Kenyans where to go for help. Research shows that using a Rubik’s Cube stimulates a patient’s mind. So we created a customised “Alzheimer’s Rubik’s Cube” based on photos of a certain patient’s treasured memories. We sent the cubes out as direct mailers and placed unsolved cubes in waiting rooms, clinics, health insurance offices, and other relevant locations. The idea was designed to communicate that when a person suffers from Alzheimer’s, their memories, much like the unsolved cube, are all jumbled up. By placing a simple call to action on the cube, we wanted to lead people to the Alzheimer’s Association of Kenya offices for help and guidance. The cube caught the attention of people with elderly loved ones. Queries at the Alzheimer’s Association of Kenya went from 5 per month to 3 per day. Volunteers at the association rose from 10 to 43 within a month. Visitors liked the Alzheimer’s Cube so much that some even requested for personalised versions for loved ones suffering from the disease.