About this project

Projectdescription

While studying at the Youth Initiative Program we became personally connected to Sabrina Jung the Co-founder of Mina Academy. As the next step of the Academy was to have a playground built in their empty school yard we took up the initiative. Working with the local people and international volunteers we intend to work together to make a positive environment for the children. Our goal is to create a space for children where they can feel safe and free to be playful and imaginative. We will facilitate a space were the children, teachers and parents can imagine their dream playground. From this we will host work days where international volunteers can work alongside the local community and people of Mina academy to build the playground they designed. The money fundraised through the one percent club will pay for materials for the playground. The Mina Academy community will be involved in the development and building of the project and its maintenance after it is built. Although we are facilitating the process and providing the materials, the project will be initiated and maintained by the local people.

Project objectives

The goal of our project is to create a space were people from different cultures can work together to build something positive and creative for the children in developing countries. Our long term goal is to inspire other young adults to take up the initiative to collaborate with communities on inspiring projects to make positive social change in a fun and creative way.

Target group(s) of the project

The playground is being built for the enjoyment of the 65 children ages 2-15 of Mina Academy and the children of Kisui village. The children suffer the harsh realities of poverty and high prevalence of HIV aids in their environment every day. We hope the playground allows them the freedom to develop naturally as children. Through play we believe the children have the opportunity to develop physical skills, body language and learn how to share and play together. The participation of the parents and teachers will strengthen their community and develop local resilience. Additionally we hope that the 8 international volunteers gain and understanding of the local technologies in the construction of the playground as well as an insight into the local traditions and customs.

In what way does this project contribute to reducing poverty?

By involving the community in the designing and the building process, we hope they develop the insight that they are capable of realizing ways of improving their own environment. We hope this understanding might strengthen the people to work as a community to discover the hidden resources, skills and dreams there to benefit from. With this understanding they have the potential to develop out of poverty and into a self sufficient community.

Sustainability

The design and construction of the playground will be a collaborative process which comes from the people of the Mina Academy community. As it is a direct request from the school it will be part of the school compound maintenance, there is no special training needed for this. The structures won’t be very high of the ground, so the risks of the children falling will be minimal. However the safety of the children is most important to us so a local carpenter will also be on sight to oversee aspects of the construction process.

Starting date of the project

30 March 2010

End date of the project

29 April 2010

Project activities and time planning

- 10 Preparation meetings with Sabrina Jung in Sweden for appropriate organisation for the coming activities in Kenya.

• Flight to Nairobi on the 28th. Arriving at project on the 30th.
• First week spent getting in contact with the community, getting to know the children and families from Mina Academy and meeting the international volunteers. Purchasing of all materials required and transporting from the city market into the village.
• Presenting the possibilities of building structures with photographs and pictures for the playground and working on a common idea of design with the locals and the school staff.

• The three remaining weeks will be spent building the construction and sharing experiences with the local community.

• We will be doing interactive games and handicrafts with the children and caregivers and school staff alongside the building. We will also cook and eat together with the locals and learn traditional crafts alongside the children.
• On arrival back in Sweden we will have two meetings to arrange evaluate the process and inform sponsors of the outcome of the project.

Expected project results

We will leave behind a simple colorful playground for the children’s enjoyment. We hope the process will be beneficial and supportive for the teachers and administrators of the Mina Academy and local community. We also aim for the international volunteers to feel inspired and empowered to initiate their own projects so that the support for developing communities can continue from civil society to civil society.

Project budget

Total costs project

EUR 1.985

Additional explanation of your budget

All costs cover basic materials, transportation and the specialized labor of a carpenter and architect for safety reasons. However the majority of the building will be carried by the volunteers.

Funding (in Euros) already received through other resources (mention other sources)

private donations: 70 euro
fundraising movie night: 650 euros,

Expected funding (in Euros) through other resources

1000 euros

Amount requested (in Euros) through the 1% CLUB

EUR 1.985