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Sex game takes on the world

Shaun Almond
14/12/2005

A GLOSSOP nurse who created a sexual health board game is now witnessing it become a global success.

Barbara Hastings-Asatourian devised the board game as a way of teaching sexual health to kids with challenging behaviour back in October 2001.

These days the 52 year old from Victoria Street is often jet-setting to South Africa as she promotes the latest computer version of the game which now focuses more on HIV and AIDS.

She says it's not profit, but a desire to reduce the number of sexually transmitted infections that is her driving force.

Barbara said: "My aim is to reach as many different countries as possible. I never thought it would be a global phenomenon. But on the first day I launched my business I got an order from China. So I was instantly made aware of the power of the internet."

Even with her hectic schedule, Barbara never misses an opportunity to help out.

On a recent trade mission to South Africa she became involved with a local women's group, Thandeka Designs.

As soon as she got home she started fund-raising for them by giving after dinner speeches at Glossop and Hyde Rotary Clubs.

Thanks to Barbara's involvement, Thandeka designs - which sells jewellery to help women become self-sufficient and provides soup kitchens - is now kitted out with a laptop and much-needed website.

And it doesn't stop there.

In the New Year Barbara hopes to begin work as an ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa.

She adds: "I created a unique business idea that is helping people across the world."