Project description

In Lwala, Apwoyo e. V. built a playground from locally available material — with a climbing frame, swings and a tyre course. Our members brought the good tools from Germany, right down to the brushes for painting.

The children from the primary and secondary schools helped, as did the orphans from the regional orphanage.

Project status

Through an initiative of the association’s members and many individual donations, two playgrounds at two of our schools in Ngora built.

The children watched the making of the equipment meticulously — seesaw, slide, swing and roundabout are completely unknown to most children in the countryside. Once Father Denis had solemnly blessed everything, there was no holding them: they swung and slid deep into the night.

The Hörstube Saarburg has made possible the construction of another playground for 2027 already pledged.

Project background

Children everywhere want and need to play. In Lwala there had been nothing for that but an open field.

Besides school, the children help at home in the fields and the house and look after their younger siblings. Time to play is badly needed, so they can simply be children for once.

There is a practical benefit too: young patients from the neighbouring hospital can exercise their mobility on the playground as they recover.

Implementation

We deliberately built with what is available locally: wood, old tyres, simple fittings. That keeps costs low and makes repairs possible without us.

Having the children help build was deliberate. Whoever helped build sees the playground as their own, looks after it and takes pride in the work.

Get involved & support

We are looking for support for further playgrounds at other schools — see Get involved & donate.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to everyone who donated tools, travelled with us and lent a hand — and to the community of Lwala, which has looked after the site ever since.