Much of our success at the Playground of Hope can be attributed to our work with local NPOs and NGOs deeply committed to the communities they serve. Shinchi Daycare is a great example. The JET Program in Fukushima, working under the auspices of their NPO, “Eyes for Fukushima”, worked with us to identified three local daycare centers in need of new play equipment for their facilities. Shinchi Daycare was the largest of the three.
Our objective was to help create a more dynamic play environment for these children who, because of their proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, were prohibited from playing outside for over one year. Now that their school yards had been decontaminated, they were one of the safest spaces place to play outside and both teachers and parents were eager to encourage outdoor play.
The plan was simple, assemble a a group of 20 JET Program volunteers and paint all Shinchi Dacare’s existing athletic equipment, i.e. swings, slides and jungle gyms to make them look bright, shiny and new. To tops things off we, of course, worked hand-in-hand to build the kids a big new play set for all to enjoy!