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 NATIONAL PLAY GROUND:
“The greatest education is that a child should play among lovely things” - Plato
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In May 2002, as part of the renovation of Dyatlovo Orphanage, CODP installed a playground. The old one was a rusty affair which had stopped working years ago. Even at that stage we had dozens of project under our belt but no project had the result that that playground did. It is quite amazing to get to know with relatively low energy levels and see them transformed in a matter of days to lively, laughing kids. Without knowing how, we decided then and there that we had to put a playground into every orphanage in Belarus. |
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The first thing to do was to visit all 57 orphanages and establish that the need was real. Given this we decided to carry out a full assessment to establish exactly what each orphanage needed. This allowed us to identify those orphanages in most need of attention and also highlighted a handful of institutions which already had playgrounds. However, when these five were excluded that still left 52 institutions, and two centres which provide respite care each year for thousands of children from the fall-out zone. |
| The playgrounds consists of two sets of swings, each of which is able to accommodate six children at one time, a carousel which spins around, five see-saws, a sandpit and a 10-foot long metal plane which can be used by two young children at a time. The playgrounds were manufactured by the Minsk Automotive Plant which at one time made tanks for the Russian military. So these are military-grade playgrounds which are set in concrete foundations three feet deep. The playgrounds cost approximately E5,000 each to manufactured, deliver and install. They were mainly sponsor by individuals and companies but many were funded through street collections, pub quizzes and smaller fundraising drives. |
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We target playgrounds for as number of reasons. It has long been recognised that play is an essential element of childhood. Leo Buscaglia, an American writer and teacher said: “It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital
connection between them.” But play does much more. Play allows children to come to terms with the world around them, to socialise, to test the limits of their personal resources and, of course, to have fun. Play is also hugely beneficial to children who have come though difficult times, such as orphans. |
| The theory aside though, we knew from first experience that playgrounds worked. It sounds very simple but one of our principals is that what works, works. So once you know something works and works well, why not repeat it. There are now 54 new playgrounds operating in orphanages in Belarus. Although this project is now finished we remain happy to assist any organisation which wishes to install playgrounds anywhere in Belarus. |
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Email: tmcenaney@independent.ie
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