Swing sets for School children

Everywhere I live, I like to get involved with volunteer work. Sometimes it's with my church or at my kids' school or in the community. You're my friends—you all know this about me. One project I have been involved with here in Gabon is helping a friend put swing sets in at public schools. In November, my local friends and I pooled our funds to put in a swing set at this school. 

See? There is really nowhere to play.

My friends and I were able to place this swing set there. From an American mindset, thinking on the large playground structures we have at our schools, it seems so, so small for a school with so many children. 

But when I visited the school on the swing set's first day of use, it was clear that the students did not think it was too small. (And wow! What a difference it makes to have that back wall painted!)

For most of these kids, this is the first time they had ever slid down a slide or swung on a swing. There are no public playgrounds here. Nothing at the schools, and nothing at parks. The few parks here just have benches for sitting. And some don't even have that. They're just green spaces.

It is awkward to ask for money, but so many of you back in the US have asked me what you can do to help, and this seems like a pretty good way.

Please let me know if you're interested. Many small contributions will add up, and together we can put smiles on many more faces.

Also, it probably goes without saying, but I will make no money off of this. All of your contributions will go entirely to paying for the actual swing set and paying for a truck to transport it. The total cost is about $750 USD; it fluctuates based on the worth of the dollar compared to the Central African Franc we use here.

Send me a message on facebook or gmail (or comment below) if you'd like me to give you instructions on how to donate. Thank you, friends!!!