It's been an amazing year: a successful trip to Guatemala, trainees from previous years are building playgrounds like crazy, a bunch of great partnerships are evolving and Play360's work is receiving attention and accolades. But we continue to need your help. Please consider donating funds to our current projects (gift ideas at the bottom of this newsletter!) and please spread the word on our upcoming Guatemala service trip this summer.
Peace,
Jon Racek
Executive Director
Peru: New Playgrounds Built by Trainees
Photos from one of Play360's 2011 trained organizations of their first two playgrounds. Villa el Salvador, Peru, a poverty-stricken town, is located thirty minutes from Peru's capital, Lima. Much thanks to Scotiabank for funding these projects.
Ongoing and Upcoming Projects
Projects in 2014
China - Sichuan Province
Liangshan, officially the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, is an autonomous prefecture occupying much of the southern extremity of Sichuan province.
Site of the largest earthquake in almost 30 years, this region was devastated in 2008. Over 70,000 people died, and almost 15 million people were affected. Play360, with the help of dedicated volunteers, will provide the children of the Sichuan Province with not only a playground, but educational resources that their school desperately needs.
Haiti
In March, in partnership with St. Paul Catholic Center at Indiana University, Play360 will conduct a training in Saintard, Haiti with four local schools and organizations.
We look forward to the partnership with the St. Paul community and the opportunity to bring the first Play360 playground to Haiti.
Rwanda
For almost a year, we have been working on a large-scale project in the community of Gisenyi, Rwanda, a new community of almost 800 displaced families. During last several months, Play360 has employed ~200 people to transform a large field of volcanic rock into a building site. The Gisenyi project will contain a soccer pitch, an informal market area and a playground. Special thanks to The 11th Hour Foundation for their generous financial support.
Nepal
We are fundraising for a much-needed project in Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal has a population of 30 million with about 10 percent living in the Kathmandu area. According to a recent New York Times article, Nepal has 125 ethnic groups, 127 spoken languages, scores of castes and three distinct ecosystems. Working with a local organization that oversees all area schools, we hope to bring the first Play360 playground to this extremely diverse nation.
In the Works
Stay tuned for details on projects in Liberia and Burma.
Play360 Service Trip
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Sat., May 17, 2014 - Wed., May 28, 2014
This summer, Play360 is offering an exciting 12-day service trip to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Travel to Central America and experience its people and culture in a meaningful way as our team works with the local community to build a school playground. As we engage with the local culture and community, you will play an essential role in furthering Play360’s mission of training organizations to build low-cost playgrounds in order to improve education in the developing world.
Jessica is currently studying Environmental Management through Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She has a passion for traveling and a desire to improve the world's environment and communities.
JinHee (Jimmy) Choi
Jimmy is a sophomore at Indiana University majoring Accounting and Information & Process Management. Jimmy is looking forward to the fun, unique work he will be doing for Play360.
Jinghua (Jing) Tu
Jing is a second-year graduate student in Indiana University's School of Journalism. She is from Shanghai, China. Jing joined Play360 for the opportunity to make a positive impact on children from her native country. She hopes to bring a playground to the Sichuan area.
Give the Gift of Play
What to give the person that has everything? A tire calculator, of course. Swings or an octopus always make wonderful gifts too. Find that special something at Play360. We will provide you with a personalized e-receipt with smiling, happy images of your gift! (Click on any of the images to donate)
