Back to the playground!An undertaking to Design for Change

The Centre:YMCA Boys Home, Thrikakkara

Cochin 2

The Mentors

• Sanjay Thomas Alanoly (Mob: 9633977657)

• Aswin Menon (Mob: 9746811700)• Sanjana Jose (Mob: 9037598414)

The Kids• Naveen M• Yadhu Krishnan• Akhil Balan• Vishnu V A• Dennis Vincent• Vigneshwaran• Abhijith J• Johnson Joseph• Shins Shaji• Sanoop Das• Arunjith J• Thomson

• Manu T. M• Rahul Gireesh• Anandhu K• Karuppusami S• Prakash Joseph• Sabin Babu• Bijith A.J• Biju K. V• Sooraj D M

The Problem

The ground behind YMCA where the kids once used to play had been left unused for a long time as it was overgrown and had become uneven after some construction activity nearby.

As a result the kids in the orphanage no longer had a place to play and had to spend their evenings indoor.

They tried complaining to the centre authorities but with no effect.

And that’s when DFC comes along.

Introducing DFC to kids and volunteers

Discussing with the kids

Kids working on the Posters

The Solution and Implementation

As the mentors talked and brainstormed with the kids they realized that they didn’t have to depend on others all the time to fix their problems. That they were powerful and they could create the change they wanted to see.

So that’s what we did when 11 MAD volunteers and the kids got together as per their plan in the centre early morning on the 8th of October.

We got them the tools and they created the change as we spend the whole day clearing and levelling the field.

And yeah they erected two goal posts at the ends of the field so that they had the perfect field to play the game they loved.

Working on the playground

Putting up the goal posts

The Result

The kids no longer had to spend their evenings indoors watching TV or lazing around as now they had an awesome playground all thanks to themselves.

And before we called it a day we didn’t forget to inaugrate the field by playing football with the kids and the MAD volunteers from other centres who joined us in the evening.

Happy Kids, Happy Volunteers, Happy DFC!

Football Time!

Thank you DFC!