Playgrounds are essential safe spaces where children can be themselves and express their fun-loving nature while developing crucial cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills.
In Fiji like many developing countries, playgrounds and play equipment is sparse and not always available for lower income communities.
Teaming up with their local municipality council, the Rotary Club of Suva installed recycled playgrounds in a densely populated area in Fiji's capital, Suva. The recycled play equipment was shipped to Fiji from Australia under the Rotary Overseas Recycled Playgrounds and installed at the Enchanting Children’s Playground at Lalu Children Park by the Nausori Town Council and Nasinu Town Council in partnership with the Rotary Club of Suva.
At the handover and official opening of the new park on 26th August, Fiji’s Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa emphasised the park’s significance as the first of 12 captivating children’s parks slated for towns and cities nationwide over the next six months.Minister Nalumisa also highlighted the concerted efforts of all stakeholders including charities like Rotary to provide essential services to all neighbourhoods.
Past President Karl Jamnadas said the playground took many months of planning and discussion as they wanted to ensure that the equipment was installed in an area that would benefit communities that needed it the most. The playground was installed in what is known as Fiji’s most populous area with over 330,000 inhabitants.
A similar Shipment of playgrounds has been donated to the Suva City Council and await installation.
The Rotary Overseas Recycled Playgrounds (RORP) was initiated by the Rotary Club of Kensington in Australia (District24401) which locates surplus playground equipment Australia-wide--and works with councils and private industry to ensure it can be tagged, carefully decommissioned, audited and sent to partner Rotary clubs for a further assessment and installation in communities without access to safe playgrounds.
Rotary clubs work hand-in-hand and in consultation with local communities and respond to their needs.
These playgrounds still have many years of use still in them but due to fixed-time equipment refreshment policies in Australia and the difficulty of inspecting for any metal corrosion without removing equipment from the ground.
For safety reasons, all equipment is checked after removal. Necessary repairs are completed before shipping. Any playground components which cannot be replaced or repaired are eliminated from consideration. A final audit is performed by the receiving Rotary club before an installation is scheduled.
This is a fantastic project with social, educational environmental and financial benefits across multiple countries.
Starting with a single playground for a girl’s school in Sri Lanka, the project has now shipped over 100 playgrounds to Fiji, Timor Leste, the Philippines and Tanzania. RORP is now managed by a statewide team led by the Rotary Club of Nunawading, Rotary Club of Mount Martha, Rotary Club of Geelong and Rotary Club of Ivanhoe.
