In June, the general meeting of the Medicus Mundi Switzerland network welcomed a new organisation, the Taboobreaker association. The non-profit organisation is committed to helping young people in the areas of mental and sexual health.
Taboobreaker is a Swiss–South African non-profit organisation dedicated to transforming mental and sexual health education for young people worldwide. Registered as a charitable association in Switzerland and as a Public Benefit Organisation and Non-Profit Company in South Africa, Taboobreaker’s mission is simple but urgent: break taboos, foster open dialogue, and equip youth with the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need to thrive.
The Love Land journey
Our flagship initiative, Love Land, began humbly in Switzerland as a board game developed for schools. It was created to fill a glaring gap in educational materials: traditional resources were outdated, and often moralistic and heteronormative. Young people needed a safe and engaging space to explore puberty, relationships, consent, and sexuality without shame or stigma, yet still respectful and including different cultural backgrounds.
Teachers immediately recognised its value. From Swiss classrooms the journey soon expanded, when a pilot in Indonesia revealed Love Land’s adaptability across cultural and religious contexts. Enthusiastic uptake by schools and learners in Medan proved that taboos can be broken anywhere when the approach is playful, inclusive, and respectful.
Partnering with Loud Rabbits, a South African game design studio, Love Land evolved into a multi-channel hybrid program:
Interactive board game for schools, youth clubs, and communities.
Gamified mobile app for self-paced digital learning.
Learning Lab with tutorial videos and facilitator resources.
Together these tools empower young people aged 10–18 and at the same time support adults, teachers, parents, and community facilitators, to guide conversations with confidence.
The challenge
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, sexual and mental health education is critically underprovided. In South Africa, fewer than 5% of schools offer comprehensive sexuality education, adolescent pregnancy rates remain among the world’s highest, and over 140,000 young people acquire HIV annually. Globally, stigma and silence continue to leave adolescents unprepared. Girls and gender-diverse youth are particularly affected, lacking safe spaces to build resilience, agency, and voice.
Evidence and impact
Love Land responds with an approach that is youth-guided, culturally relevant, and evidence-based: A Social Return on Investment study by Costello Medical calculated that every 1 ZAR invested generates 2.61 ZAR in socio-economic value, equal to nearly 100 million ZAR in benefits for 50,000 learners. Pilots across five countries confirm effectiveness: learners gain knowledge, strengthen communication and decision-making, and report greater confidence in discussing sensitive topics.
At LEAP School in Langa, South Africa, 100% of participants rated Love Land’s gender-based violence module as “helpful or very helpful.” Educators describe the program as transformative; one principal called it “the most impactful tool I have seen in 30 years of education.”
The Love Land app has already achieved more than 7,000 organic downloads without marketing. Its offline-compatible features and buy-one-give-one board game model ensure access for underserved schools.
Partnerships and recognition
Our work is strengthened by collaborations with the University of Cape Town, Zurich University of the Arts, and global networks such as Gender Links and Transform Health. In 2025, Taboobreaker was selected as a winner of the Hanga SRH Accelerator Cohort, recognising it as one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most promising innovations in sexual and reproductive health.
Looking ahead
By 2030, our goal is to reach one million youth through national and regional scale-up, additional language versions, and integration with ministries of education and health. While rooted in Africa, the program also offers a bridge to Europe through our Swiss charity base, fostering Global North–South collaboration.
Our Vision
At its heart, Love Land is about creating spaces where young people and adults can learn together, ask questions without fear, and break the cycle of silence around mental and sexual health. By making taboo topics approachable, interactive, and stigma-free, Taboobreaker is helping to shape stronger, more equitable communities; in Switzerland, in South Africa, and around the world.
Karin Stierlin is the founder and initiator of Taboobreaker and Love Land. Dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive health education, she leverages innovative approaches like gamification to empower and educate communities. Through her initiatives, Karin aims to break taboos and foster open, inclusive dialogues, improving well-being and education in underserved populations globally. karin@taboobreaker.org
