Project Context: No child should be deprived of play and holistic learning

Khandseoni village, in the Pandhurna district of Madhya Pradesh, is predominantly inhabited by the Gond tribe, a community that has faced socio-economic marginalisation. The local government high school in Khandseoni is a crucial educational institution and community hub for 350 students, all of whom belong to the Gond Tribe. The families of these children primarily rely on subsistence farming, daily wage labour, or forest produce for their welfare. The school is also concerned about high rates of school dropouts, malnourishment and lack of economic opportunity for children.

Project Idea:
One of the pressing needs identified in this community is a social and developmental hub for youth as the village severely lacks safe recreational spaces or social hubs, especially for adolescent girls - the school is the main hub of activity for children and the community at large, but has no supporting infrastructure. A well-designed playground would provide much-needed physical, mental, and social development opportunities for children while also encouraging higher retention rates in school. This playscape is more than a recreational hub, as we see the community using this as a multifunctional social amenity for local purposes apart from active play.
Proposed Impact

• We will include a sensory and explorative playscape to help with physical and mental agility.
• Community rain garden and food garden in the play area to create awareness on nutrition, water management and how to grow fresh produce with limited resources.
• Increase high-school retention rates
• Improve community cohesion by creating a multi-use facility
• Space to learn about emotional regulation and social skills:
• Encourage girls to take part in active recreation.

Materials and Process

• We usually take 2-3 weeks to implement our project on-site. Our track record has shown consistent delivery of high-quality spaces in a short period, as this is seen as a critical infrastructure for the community
• Most of our materials for construction are sourced on-site reducing time, carbon footprint and cost -The site has bamboo, stones, and recycled tyres.
• We use Cob construction for ease of maintenance and adaptability of design.

Use of Funds

- Design of Playscapes
- Materials and play equipment procurement - swings, monkey bars, Slider, Seaters, Balance Trails etc.
- Community Enagegement
- Documentation and Impact Assessment
- Levelling and preparing the site for improvements
- Landscape elements and natural water drainage

Typical Breakdown
Deadline
We are currently working on multiple project locations similar to this and would thereby require at least 60% of funds by May 2025.