Playpoint, in collaboration with The Chain Reaction Project, donated a playground to Dr. Jose Gawad Kalinga (GK) village in the Philippines. 

In 2013, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with various NGOs such as The Chain Reaction Project, Gawas Klinga and the ABS-CNF Foundation to provide underprivileged communities in the Philippines with playground facilities in the hopes of empowering lives and bringing colour to their communal spaces.

The village is a shelter to some of Manila’s slum dwellers and is home to many displaced families in the Philippines. We found the residents of the village to be bright and lively people and were beyond glad to be blessed with the chance to interact with them and contribute to their community.

We believe that play should not be exclusive to certain groups of children. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, every child is deserving of play regardless of their socio-economic background and living environment. This is why we were more than ecstatic to be given the chance to donate a playground to the village.

To kick-start the project, we visited the village to interact with the residents, analysed the area, its terrain and climate conditions to ensure that the equipment will withstand the weather and is suitable for the children. What made the experience additionally meaningful was the help we received from the children themselves, who were eager to help us carry water and soil. Their help was a poignant reminder that achieving happiness is a communal effort, and that no one is too good or too weak to chip in. The innocence and affection of the children made the time that we spent with them truly incomparable. Their excitement was palpable and infectious, which made for an experience like no other.

We believe that the poor must be dignified in order to strive towards ending poverty and achieving social mobility. By donating the playground to the village and improving overall infrastructure and happiness, we hope to be a part of the movement towards social equity. Playpoint is forever thankful for opportunities like this to enact social change through playground donations.