By Kate Robey | Charitable Trust Operations Manager
Dear Supporter,
Towards the end of August, our team in India finished the construction of a playground in Santhom Colony and it has been used, non-stop, since we opened it to the public!
Santhom slum is divided into four sections and comprises of some 400 people living in 120 houses. These four sections have had very little interaction and tend to keep themselves quite separate due to historical mistrust. The construction of a community playground in a central location, open to all members of the Santhom community, seems to be helping to bridge this unspoken divide in the community and bring the residents of Santhom together.
Mothers and children from all sections of Santhom are coming together to use the new playground and the common area is helping to strengthen the sense of community cohesion. It is truly wonderful to see and GVI is using the goodwill that this area has generated to gain access and insights into some sections of Santhom that we previously haven’t been able to.
The construction of the playground took place over a two-week period when we had a group of under 18 volunteers visiting our project. The volunteers worked alongside local tradesmen, lead by our foreman, Saju, who has helped us with the construction of the houses. It was hard, and hot, work moving materials from the roadside to the site itself, clearing the site, as well as helping in bricklaying, rendering and painting.
Our volunteers were inspired by and grateful for this opportunity to be able to take a project from start to finish and it is extremely rewarding to be able to see a project be so well received by the community.
There are still a few things that we need to put the finishing touches on the playground and the surrounding area. We aim to add seating and basic amenities to the area around the playground so that there is a place for mother’s to sit and mingle as their children play together. The paint work will also need to be redone as it hasn’t stuck properly due to inclement weather during the project. But in the meantime, it is a wonderful community area where children can play and mothers can mingle.
Thank you for your support!
With Gratitude
GVI- India
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