The article presents and describes a 2024 collaborative practice between the non-profit Big Hand and undergraduate Communication Design students from Lusófona University. Before Big Hand helped by installing a borehole, the people in Manica communities lacked access to clean water, making it impossible to establish hygiene practices. Now that clean drinking water is available in all of these settlements, it is essential to instruct the locals on proper hygiene habits. Design students were assigned to develop a physical game that would educate the villages of Montechimoio, Matsinho, Messica, and Mpucuta, in Mozambique, about good hygiene practices. The article is divided into four parts: Introduction, Conceptual Framework, Work Methodology, and Final Considerations. The methodology was structured in three stages: an expository lecture on key figures in design history, followed by critical reading and discussion of selected chapters from Victor Margolin’s Design e Risco de Mudança. This approach promotes the integration of theory and practice and prepares students for the game development phase, guided by Design Thinking principles. It is also aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering significant value by providing students with hands-on experience in addressing societal challenges, problem-solving, and cross-cultural communication while fostering empathy. This partnership demonstrates the mutual benefits of academic – NGO collaboration, while positively impacting underserved communities, serving as a model for future initiatives. The NGO President will present insights on children’s and youth’s preferences, constraints, and outcomes to guide decisions on whether to repeat, adjust, or discontinue certain ideas, as part of an ongoing process.