Chủ Nhật, 04/06/2017, 09:30 (GMT+7)
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Creating playgrounds in urban area

It would seem that children’s playgrounds are a ‘luxury’ in big cities, when all available areas are used either for trading or parking. But through their efforts, the Think Playgrounds group has called upon the community to create playgrounds, bringing joy to children. Since beginning operations 2 years ago, the group has built 60 playgrounds in many regions across the country.

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Creating playgrounds in urban area

In the first few days of June, a new 300 metres square playground has been opened in Chuong Duong ward, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, with many games such as climbing system and swings. Nguyen Thanh Thuy in Phuc Tan Street, Hoan Kiem district, said “the playground is not very wide, but to us this is a very precious thing. For a long time, urban kids have lacked the space in which to play. During the summer vacation, their parents have to work and can’t always take them out. With the aim of helping children to stay away from social evils, many families have "detained" their children in the house, forcing them to make friends with television and play video games all day. With the playground, we worry much less". The playground at Lane 1, Vong Ha street, Chuong Duong ward is the result of a month of construction by the Think Playgrounds group’s members, with the financial support of the HealthBridge Foundation of Canada and the help of the local government.

In large cities, the construction of children's playgrounds has not been properly addressed. Specifically, at some wards in Dong Da and Hoan Kiem districts, the population has risen by tens of thousands, but public spaces only cover several hundred square meters. The city is currently building more flower gardens and parks. However, the distance from home to the flower garden or the park is a barrier and not every child has a chance to go and enjoy them. With young kids, the playgrounds in residential areas are most accessible, but these playgrounds are always used for a variety of purposes, from sales and parking to badminton or adult football.

Chu Kim Duc and Nguyen Tieu Quoc Dat, two members of the Think Playgrounds group, have long entertained the idea of creating spaces for children in the city. However the idea was only gradually turning into reality until they met Judith Hansen, a 70-year-old American visitor who holds a deep love for Vietnam. She has since helped the young people to create a playground, providing financial support. These young people formed the Think Playgrounds group.

‘Think Playgrounds’ formed their first playground for children of migrant workers or peddlers, who call the alluvial ground along the Hong River their home. The playground, which cost over VND10 million was open to the elation of the kids and their parents alike, who could now rest assured that their children would steer clear from perilous ‘water games’ in the river. As was the hope of the two founding members Kim Duc and Quoc Dat, the success of this playground has "awakened" the minds of many people.

Such a shortage of outdoor play areas has left urban kids growing increasingly dependent on digital devices for leisurely activities, resulting in their imbalanced mental and physical growth as well as creating other issues. Acutely aware of such problems, many communities have sought to "reclaim" public space. However, the group members have encountered immense hurdles ‘reclaiming’ public land from illegal occupants, who generally would not return the plots to public use. Undaunted, these young people sought out help from local authorities and residents in the specific neighborhoods to talk the illegal occupants into giving the plots back to the public, for the group to build playgrounds on.

Speaking about the activities of the group, Nguyen Tri Quoc Dat shared that the group operates under the social enterprise model, using revenue from the sale of playground designs to agencies, in order to maintain an income for the team members and raise funds to build the playground. The playground in the street is a bridge between social organisations, benefactors and communities who need to build a playground. Some organisations and businesses have made a great contribution in building their playgrounds, including HealthBridge, ACCD, or Hoang Vu enterprise. In addition, the group usually makes use of recycled materials and self-design and construction to ensure safety and sustainability.

After more than three years of operation, the group has 11 members and has coordinated with other agencies and social organisations to successfully build 40 playgrounds in Hanoi. Not only in Hanoi, the group has also coordinated with social organisations and other volunteer groups to build more than 20 playgrounds in various localities, including remote and mountainous areas such as Ha Giang or Ly Son Island (Quang Ngai). Some playgrounds cost up to VND65 million, as with the new playground inaugurated in Chuong Duong ward. Through their activities, these young people have shown great effort and have managed to change public perceptions concerning the need for child entertainment.

(Source: NDO)

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