The Obwolo Nursery Project marks the start of an exciting new venture for Play Action International as we aim to transform the blueprint for classrooms in rural East Africa. The majority of classroom structures in this part of the world are made from corrugated iron. Spaces are dark, cramped, hot, and uninspiring. We want to reinvent the way that classrooms are built to work better with the environment and ensure children have the best possible environment to learn and grow.

This idea arose when l recently volunteered with Play Action in Kenya. Here is my story...

This year I chose to retire. As my retirement date got closer, I found myself in a conversation with Play Actions CEO, Murielle, about their expansion to Kenya and the need for volunteers to help get the charity set up and build a playground for children in Kisumu.

Being a man of adventure I decided to throw my hat into the ring and embrace the chance to do something really special. Once I arrived in Kisumu I was working in a team of 8 volunteers from the UK, 4 volunteers from Kenya and 4 from Uganda. On day one, as we were working on building the playground, my attention was drawn to a dilapidated corrugated iron structure nearby. I wandered over and found small children in a dark, confined space with very little daylight. It was a sight that deeply affected me and I felt a sense of sadness, leaving me feeling compelled to do something. It seemed to me that this was a situation that could be transformed. I contacted Murielle and had a conversation about how we could build a proper nursery. Fast forward to December 2022 and here we are ready to raise funds to build an early years nursery for the children in Kisumu.

Play Action has spent the past 12 years building playgrounds and delivering play-based programmes as we know that play is not only fundamental for children's physical, emotional, and social development, but is also a hugely effective and sustainable approach to education which provides a rich context for learning.

The Obwolo Nursery Project aims to tie together Play, Planet and Learning to create a harmonious space that is a bright, airy, and PLAYFUL learning environment where children can be fully engaged in and inspired by their education. Working with local people and local materials, we will ensure the nursery is sustainable and built in a way which works with the natural environment, not against it.

Thank you for reading my story, I hope that you are excited to be part of making this project a reality!