PLAYGROUND PICTURES

Playground Fully Funded!

Thanks to the help of individual donations and a grant from the Canadian Embassy, I am very happy to finally tell everyone that the playground at the Centro Social SOS in Mindelo will be completed in March 2011!

I would like to thank everyone who has given support to this project and I will post pictures when it is completed!

For my last day as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I made this video to thank the children of the SOS Social Center for all of the happiness they have brought me over the last two years!

Mnine D’Rua Ma Mim

Mnine D’Rua Ma Mim~ Cordas do Sol

N tive uns tenpe na rua t’anda
K’uns mnine d’rua ma min t’anda
No anda ta preguta
Onde k’tinha proteson pa es tma

Uvide nigen ka da
Tenson nen ka bo fala
Es pensa k’es ka tava oia
Kes mnine d’rua fka ta txora

N tive uns tenpe na rua t’anda
K’uns mnine d’rua ma min t’anda
No anda ta pregunta
Onde k’tinha proteson pa es tma

Uvide nigen ka da
Tenson nen ka bo fala
Es pensa k’es ka tava oia
Kes mnine d’rua fka ta txora

Ai munde ai munde
Es e mnine d’ua ma es meste nos tude
Ai munde ai munde
Un kalker d’nos pudia ser mnine d’rua

"The World Always Looks Brighter from Behind a Smile."

This afternoon when I came back to the SOS after lunch, I went to check out what the kids were doing after they ate lunch.
With some cement blocks, cardboard and some rocks they had constructed a little fort (coincidentally in the space where the playground will be built). It was such a nice surprise and showed me how much joy such a simple space can give them. Of course this is not the ideal place for them to play, which they were reminded when they crawled in and one of the kids screamed out when he was pushed onto a rock. As I pushed a piece of broken glass away to take the photo of them, I couldn't help but think about how great this space will be for them when the playground is built.

Movie about playground

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdQMrD1SiwI

Playground Design

(the inspiration for the design)

The playground will be located in a 200 square meter space next to the existing football field. It will be enclosed by a wall, which must be constructed to protect the playground from rain and erosion. The playground will have an elevated wooden structure (fort), two swings (connected to the fort), two seesaws and a tire structure for climbing.

View of playground from above. It will have an elevated wooden structure (fort) in the middle, with two swings, two seasaws and a climbing tire tower.