The unique play space built beside LEEDO Peace Home in Dhaka has brought smiles on the faces of local and Peace Home children.
Defying the scorching summer heat, some children were seen swinging on a tire swing, some were climbing the spider web rope net at the unique bamboo play space build next to LEEDO Peace Home in Dhaka.
The bare land beside LEEDO Peace Home for urban underprivileged children in Mohammadpur has been turned into a bamboo play space by architect firm Paraa.
This bamboo play space has brought smiles on the faces of the local and Peace Home children like 13-year-old Robiul Hasan.
Robiul’s story
Robiul forgot how many times he wished to play in a children's park at Dhaka’s Sadarghat area. He never thought he would ever get a chance to enter any such park designed for rich kids in this city, where he arrived by an accident.
A few years ago, he was zoned out in a train of Chittagong and when he woke up, he realized that he has arrived in an unknown city. He managed to survive by selling mineral water.
Robiul lost his arm after he fell off from a running train when he was only nine years old.
Recalling the days when he stood outside the park only to see other kids playing inside, he said, “I tried to get inside this park several times, but the security guard at the gate always told me I would get arrested by police if I get in as I don’t have money to buy a ticket.”
Now, Rabiul has the bamboo play space where he does not have to spend a single penny to get in. His physical disability could not stop him from climbing the spider web rope or showing off his martial skills.
Zakaria Prince, research coordinator of Paraa, said that one of their visions was to create a platform for children regardless of their social status.
And this is how an empty space has been turned into a play ground for local kids and Peace Home children.
The home
Prince said they had to use approximately 800 bamboos to build the play space in a 50x48 foot barren land next to the LEEDO Peace home.
Here, children can engage themselves in a variety of fun activities, such as swinging on tire swings, rock climbing, and spider-web rope net, hammocks and so on, he added.
This place is also designed to hold cultural festivals, book fairs, and other community activities.
“The place has three main objectives-- therapeutic, educational, and creative,” said Prince.
As for therapeutic purpose, children can engage in activities like pull ups and climbing which help them to exercise, particularly for the physically challenged.
Creating an inclusive play space was one of the main mottos of this project. “Physically challenged kids barely get any space in the city where they can have access to the playgrounds,” said Prince.
Such children can have easy access to this bamboo play space as it is wheelchair accessible.
Their bigger vision is to create a more play spaces in barren lands of the city so that urban children in this concrete jungle would have a place do outdoor activities.
