How it began
There is a lack of social and cultural opportunities in the village, with a lack of sport clubs and many other youth facilities. This has lead to a negative impact on adolescent’s behaviour and social interaction between the youngsters in the villages. This project aims to renovate an outdoor sports field, which will be part of the public school of Ain Yaccoub
How it worked
A public sports facility was built in the heart of the village to allow the local youth to meet and play sports. Volleyball and basketball fields were built. For this to be able to happen, we had to remove the sand that was covering the field, and there was a need to build a base and a wall to prevent sand from entering the court during winter. The coverage of the field was reinforced with concrete.
Success Story
All children should have access to a healthy environment where they can grow and develop happily. They should be able to experience the thrill of having fun and making new friends in common safe areas. Parents at Ain Yaacoub try their very best to provide their children with a protected loving environment, but their limited resources often prevent them from achieving that goal.
In Ain Yaacoub, the village that is situated in the North of Lebanon, children and youth were deprived of a proper, protected, and well-equipped space for any curricular, extra-curricular or recreational sport activities in their public school and in their village alike.
The streets were their playgrounds where they dodged cars passing right beside them, and their life was always in danger for lack of alternatives. At school, not only were they deprived of a playground, but also the windows of their classrooms overlooked a garbage dumpster which exposed them to serious health risks.
Although this was a major concern for the municipality, it was unable to intervene due to the lack of funds in this underprivileged area.
This situation became a priority on the agenda of Live Lebanon. Given that the welfare of Youth is a main pillar in the UNDP initiative, the team set off to resolve both problems as soon as possible.
In only a few months in 2012, and with the support and generous contribution of Live Lebanon Goodwill Ambassador Mrs. Bouran Hallani, a much needed play area was constructed in the village of Ain Yaacoub. The garbage pile next to the school was cleared out, and in its place a multi-function sport and play area was constructed. This provided the needed safety for the children to interact peacefully, enjoy themselves safely and practice different types of sports.
“People used to throw their garbage in that area. I hope that every landfill in Lebanon is replaced by a play area or park because in the end this is for our youth, their education and their health.”