TAKE OUR KIDS OF THE STREET
FROM THE BEGINNING…
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2003: sites like these were used by kids to play
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UNESCO: “All children have the right to play.”
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For more then 30 years there was no central accessible
playground for the Bonerian kids
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Our kids lacks proper motoric skills development
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Start “We Dare To Care Foundation” and building the
Playground.
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Objective: addressing and finding solutions for the social
problems affecting Bonaire’s children.
WDTC fought and lobby for 11 years struggling to give the children
the right to play
PARTICIPATION
• Local companies
• NGO’s
• Schools
• Institutions and volunteers
• contributed for almost half of the project
From the people, for the people
BOARD MEMBERS WDTC
Davika Bissessar
(president – founder)
James Finies
Rudy Sint Jago
Stanley Janga
(vice president – treasurer)
(secretary)
(member)
Objectives:
• To have a centrally located Playground & Park, accessible to the
entire community free of charge.
• To provide the possibility to promote and develop the social and
physical interaction and motoric skills for children.
• To instill and enhance human values in the entire family unit.
• To boost self-esteem and lower the present criminal and
negative activities that our kids are confronted with daily.
• To provide healthy recreational & physical stimulation for all
groups of our society including the elderly and physically
disabled.
BEFORE…
VOLUNTEERS
VOLUNTEERS
KIDS-VOLUNTEERS
PRISON-INMATES
…AFTER
PLAY UNIT
For toddlers between ages 1 to 5 years
PLAY UNIT
For children ages 5 and up
SWINGS
SEESAW
SUPERDOME
SKATE PARK
GARDEN
JOGGING PATH-TRICYCLE-ROLLER BLADES
CANTEEN FACILITIES – OPEN AREA FOR FUNCTIONS
THE PARK IS OPEN FOR EVERYBODY…
USE OF THE PARK
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Daily: 70 to 100+ kids
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Pre-schools (kreshes) and basic schools all use the Park daily in the mornings and in the
afternoons for their ‘Skol di Bario’ Program:
- Papa Cornes
- Kristu Bon Wardador
- Reina Beatrix
- San Bernardo
- Kresh Bon Kwido
- Pelikaan
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Other youth organisations that structurally use the Park in their programs:
- Zr. Maria Hoppner - FORMA - SGB - Bonairiaanse Jeugdzorg- etc
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Special yearly activities such as the important ‘Plan di Vakansi’ and San Nikolaas festivities are
part of these programs.
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The elderly homes such as Ka’i Mimina and Kas di Sosiego also use the Park on a regular, weekly
basis.
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Parents with their kids, youth play and skating, adults and elderly retreat, kids party's, etc
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And many more!!!
• This park and playground contributes substantially to the preventive
general health and youth care of our kids. Various areas but in particular,
the brain development, motor-skills, language development, intelligence
and social skills are promoted and triggered through play and are vital for
a child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development.
• Further neurological disorders, affecting the central, peripheral,
autonomic and somatic nervous systems in early childhood are proven by
scientific research that the experience that are experienced on playground
and equipment have corrective key benefits on these and linked to a
healthy development of children.
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Rights of the Child:
In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special convention just for them because people under 18 years old
often need special care and protection that adults do not.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full
range of human rights—including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.
The Convention has achieved near-universal acceptance, having now been ratified by 193 parties – more than belong to the
United Nations or have acceded to the Geneva Conventions.
The provisions and principles of the CRC guide UNICEF in its mission of advocating for the protection of children’s rights,
helping children to meet their basic needs and expanding their opportunities to reach their full potential.
The Convention sets out these rights in 54 articles and two Optional Protocols. It spells out the basic human rights that
children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and
exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are nondiscrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the
views of the child.
Every right spelled out in the CRC is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child. The
Convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services.
By agreeing to undertake the obligations of the CRC (by ratifying or acceding to it), national governments have committed
themselves to protecting and ensuring children's rights – and they have agreed to hold themselves accountable for this
commitment before the international community. States parties to the Convention are obliged to develop and undertake all
actions and policies in the light of the best interests of the child.
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Article 1 (Definition of the child): The Convention defines a 'child' as a person below the age of 18, unless the laws of a
particular country set the legal age for adulthood younger. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, the monitoring body
for the Convention, has encouraged States to review the age of majority if it is set below 18 and to increase the level of
protection for all children under 18.
Article 2 (Non-discrimination): The Convention applies to all children, whatever their race, religion or abilities; whatever
they think or say, whatever type of family they come from. It doesn’t matter where children live, what language they speak,
what their parents do, whether they are boys or girls, what their culture is, whether they have a disability or whether they
are rich or poor. No child should be treated unfairly on any basis.
Article 3 (Best interests of the child): The best interests of children must be the primary concern in making decisions that
may affect them. All adults should do what is best for children. When adults make decisions, they should think about how
their decisions will affect children. This particularly applies to budget, policy and law makers.
Article 4 (Protection of rights): Governments have a responsibility to take all available measures to make sure children’s
rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. When countries ratify the Convention, they agree to review their laws relating
to children. This involves assessing their social services, legal, health and educational systems, as well as levels of funding for
these services. Governments are then obliged to take all necessary steps to ensure that the minimum standards set by the
Convention in these areas are being met. They must help families protect children’s rights and create an environment where
they can grow and reach their potential. In some instances, this may involve changing existing laws or creating new ones.
Such legislative changes are not imposed, but come about through the same process by which any law is created or
reformed within a country. Article 41 of the Convention points out the when a country already has higher legal standards
than those seen in the Convention, the higher standards always prevail.
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Article 26 (Social security): Children – either through their guardians or directly – have the right to help from the
government if they are poor or in need.
Article 27 (Adequate standard of living): Children have the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their
physical and mental needs. Governments should help families and guardians who cannot afford to provide this, particularly
with regard to food, clothing and housing.
Article 28: (Right to education): All children have the right to a primary education, which should be free. Wealthy countries
should help poorer countries achieve this right. Discipline in schools should respect children’s dignity. For children to benefit
from education, schools must be run in an orderly way – without the use of violence. Any form of park hours discipline
should take into account the child's human dignity. Therefore, governments must ensure that schools administrators review
their discipline policies and eliminate any discipline practices involving physical or mental violence, abuse or neglect. The
Convention places a high value on education. Young people should be encouraged to reach the highest level of education of
which they are capable.
Article 29 (Goals of education): Children’s education should develop each child’s personality, talents and abilities to the
fullest. It should encourage children to respect others, human rights and their own and other cultures. It should also help
them learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and respect other people. Children have a particular responsibility to
respect the rights their parents, and education should aim to develop respect for the values and culture of their parents. The
Convention does not address such issues as school uniforms, dress codes, the singing of the national anthem or prayer in
schools. It is up to governments and schools officials in each country to determine whether, in the context of their society
and existing laws, such matters infringe upon other rights protected by the Convention.
Article 30 (Children of minorities/indigenous groups): Minority or indigenous children have the right to learn about and
practice their own culture, language and religion. The right to practice one’s own culture, language and religion applies to
everyone; the Convention here highlights this right in instances where the practices are not shared by the majority of people
in the country.
Article 31 (Leisure, play and culture): Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic
and other recreational activities
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Why the right to Play; Benefits of playgrounds:
Children’s education should develop each child’s personality, talents and abilities to the fullest and each Child should be
encouraged to reach the highest level of education of which they are capable.
The Playground gives the Child the possibility to experience active physical play and hereunder are outlined various key
benefits and the role that various play activities which are experienced on playground and equipment have on a healthy
development of children and specifically on brain development, motor skills, and social development.
Overview
Playgrounds developed with local community input, share several fundamental characteristics. They are created in a safe,
fenced area and will contain various play equipment which meets universal safety standards, all specifically designed for
young children. An extremely large volume of research is available on child development in general, and the role of play.
Information on the specific benefits of playground equipment is usually mentioned indirectly as one of several ways in which
children can experience active physical play. The research summarized in this report looks primarily at the role that various
play activities which are experienced on playground equipment have on brain development, motor skills, and social
development.
Findings
Playgrounds provide crucial and vital opportunities for children to play. There is substantial research showing the clear link
between play and brain development, motor-skills, and social capabilities. All learning—emotional, social, motor and
cognitive—is accelerated, facilitated, and fueled by the pleasure of play. Playgrounds that promote different types of play are
vital for a child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development.
Play and Free Play
What is play? Play is simply having fun, the spontaneous activity of children. Play encompasses many things—it can be done
with the body (running, jumping, dancing); the mind (fantasy play); props (building blocks, pushing a toy); and words (jokes,
singing). Play is fueled by curiosity and is driven by it. Play begins simple and grows more complex as the child grows.
Playgrounds provide an opportunity for free play. Free play differs from the structured play of recess or organized sports and
games.
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Playground free play allows children to play any way they choose, supported by a wide range of structures and spaces. Free
play allows the child to explore according to his or her natural tendencies, and allows them to learn from one another and to
interact with a wide range of age groups.
Brain Development
Research on brain development shows that the most crucial time for a child’s development is in the earliest years. The act of
play by a child stimulates brain development and function and has a key role in building the foundation, organization, and
capabilities of the brain. It is very important for children to have many regular opportunities for a variety of gross motor
activities. Children that do not get crucial interaction in their first six years will face a lifetime of limited brain power.
That said, how does play directly correlate to brain development? The stages of development of the brain mirror the stages
of play in early childhood. Play speeds the development of corresponding portions of the brain with patterned activities, and
each stage of play promotes the growth of that portion of the brain and lays the neural connections and speeds the
cerebellar synapses.
To help visualize what is meant by laying “neural connections” and speeding “cerebellar
synapses” in relation to play, try to imagine the connections of the brain as an overgrown,
difficult-to-walk path. The more a child plays (using sensory impressions and motor-activities) the more the child, in their
brain, walks that path. The more the path is walked by engaging in free play, the more defined the path becomes. Soon the
path becomes a dirt road, then a street, and finally a highway. Through constant use, by repetitive play activities, going from
A to B in the brain becomes very rapid—an easily negotiated highway. The child who does not stimulate those neural
connections and cerebellar synapses, who sits on the couch watching TV all ., still has those connections but they remain
only a path and not a highway.
Playground play structures help facilitate a child’s cognitive development during free play because toddlers are at a sensormotor stage of development and they learn through their sensory impression and motor activities and the interaction of the
two. Playgrounds provide a space for children to enrich, build, and expand their cognitive development through play.
meet the needs of children by providing different opportunities to engage in appropriate developmental play. Playgrounds
are, it is important not to forget, fun for children and this fun will have lasting positive effects on their development.
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Motor-skills
Research indicates that children with poorly developed motor-skills by age five will likely never develop efficient motor-skills.
Outdoor play appears to be an important environment to foster these skills. Playgrounds offer infants and toddlers a base for
simple motor and exercise play and provide an environment to foster these skills. Preschoolers are highly motivated to
challenge and refine their motor skills on more difficult play equipment. Playgrounds provide critical space for children to be
given opportunities to move and be encouraged to advance into the next stage of development, because through play they
can develop advanced fine motor and manipulation skills. The lack of physical fitness among children poses a danger to their
health as adults, and playground equipment is one avenue to promote physical activity of children. Outdoor play on
playgrounds can provide different opportunities to stimulate age appropriate physical development: tactile panels promote
manipulation and coordination; bridges and ramps promote loco motor skills; and slides and swings promote balance and
coordination.
Depending on the child’s developmental stage, these and other play components help the child encode and decode
movement, inhibit reflexes and control movements (reaching, grasping, releasing), and progress from elementary stages to
motor stage movements (running, hopping, dynamic and static balancing, axial movement).
Language Development, Intelligence, and Social Skills
Play is the primary vehicle for development of the imagination, intelligence, and language. The playground maximizes
opportunities to engage in a greater amount of play with their peers. The interaction with their peers allows children to
express ideas and feelings and develop oral skills. Play structures promote social play because they provide children with
places to congregate and communicate. Through the act of playing they learn social and cultural rules, and experiment with
various emotions, and explore the socially shared system of symbols. By playing they also learn by physical and mental trialand-error, through interaction with their environment and peers, the ability to discriminate between relevant and irrelevant
information. Simply put, a shortage of playgrounds can add to children’s passivity. An example of how free play in
playgrounds aids the development of social skills can be seen in the spontaneous creation of ‘games.’ Whether it be a game
of tag or fantasy play that makes a playground structure into castle with the children assigning themselves specific roles
,peer interaction is required to establish the ‘rules of the game’ and play begins. Children learn to negotiate, compromise,
work together, and also to control themselves and tolerate their frustrations in a social setting because without abiding by
the invented ‘rules’ the child cannot continue to play successfully with their peers.
The modular structures that link different playground elements together provide opportunities for socialization by providing
different kinds of interaction—nooks for single children; retreats for two or three; places for one on one adult/child
interactions; and places for small groups.
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Summary
Child’s play is not just all fun and games. The act of play is a crucial component in
the successful growth of the brain, body, and intellect. Playing promotes brain
development and helps lay the neural grid for a successful mind through repetitive
play actions that reinforce that grid. Playing promotes physical success by allowing
the child to explore, test, and expand the limits of the growing body. And playing
promotes social, intellectual, and oral skills by allowing the child to interact with
their peers and environment.
Playgrounds by their very name are grounds on which to play. But they are more
than that, playgrounds provide a safe environment designed specifically to foster
and enhance the opportunities for a child to play alone, with a caregiver, or with
other children. Given the importance of play in the development of a child, any
space which gives a child free reign to do just that should be seen a crucial
component in a child’s life. Playground equipment and space can
THE FUTURE
• It’s our children’s birthright and our duty as a society to
adequately equip them in all aspects of their development, as
they are the future leaders of Bonaire!
• We believe that the balance of economic prosperity and
advanced social development of Bonaire’s future lies in the
hands of our Children. This development starts from infancy
until young adulthood.
• Our actions today as a responsible society will be a reflection of
our kids tomorrow!
• Dare to care! Please help us keep the park open !
CONTACT
We Dare To Care Foundation
Kaya Seour Bartola z/n
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Tel.
Cel.
717-4972
786-4576
795-4050
E-mail: [email protected]