Shaglli Play & Learn

Shaglli is a rural community in the South of Ecuador which has high touristic potential due to its natural spots unique in the region. However, it also suffers from migration especially of its young population leaving to the city. Our project focused on engaging the youngest of the community.

METHODOLOGY

SCREENING

On our firsts visits, we explored the space and engaged in different meetings both with the community and the authorities in order to understand their problems and priorities. Using a “transcent walk” technique, inhabitants showed us the town and spaces from their perspectives, highlighting what has a special meaning for them.

Three main conclusions were presented:

There is a strong presence of children, but they had no place to play.
The youth was migrating to the city because they saw no value in staying.
People agreed there were unique touristic spots around but they were not known.

PICTURING

The proposal was to renovate the playground next to the main school, which was abandoned and not suitable for children to play.

In order to connect children to the local potential, we decided to design each game of the playground based on the important touristic spots, so they could learn more about it and see the value of the region. Each game would be designed, built and named with the community.

The local government of the province and the town would be strategic partners and facilitate the materials in order to make the proposal possible. The materials should not represent an extra cost for the community, so we decided to work with old tires that were available to reuse.

ZOOMING IN

The idea was validated first by the authorities of the local government and the school and then communicated to the children and parents by sending them an invitation to participate.

CAPTURING

In the execution, kids participated in painting the tires, cleaning the area and they learned from many activities. When parents saw the interest they also showed up and started collaborating in the process, even bringing materials to improve the space. Finally, the whole community gathered around to be part of the project.

The games represented the following spots:

Carachula - The City of Stone: Legends are told about the gigantic and particularly shaped stones around the town.
Bolarumi - Is a rock formation balancing on a high elevation. Also known as “the moving stone”.
Mesarrumi and Frailerrumi: Special natural rock formations surrounded by primary vegetation.
Sambohuaico: Magic forest with vast vegetation, ideal for trecks.
San Francisco y Chorrohuaico: Rivers that run-pass Shagglli providing fresh water.
Lagoons: Located at high altitude the lagoons create amazing landscapes, people can fish and watch the herds of wild horses that run around.

REVEALING

A special event was held to inaugurate the playground. The authorities, the teachers, parents, kids and more people from the community gathered to celebrate the achievement.

The result was appealing for children but also for adults, who were happily playing around.

Also, the school decided to improve its installations, they painted the facade and build new stairs to access the school from the playground.

The event was before Christmas and it represented a true present for the community to get together and see their potential with new hopes for a brighter future.

ZOOMING OUT

At the end of the project, it is important to evaluate if the objectives have been fully met. Some of the positive outcomes of the project are:

We regenerate an area that was totally abandoned and wasted.
We have a large share of children who became aware of their reality and now know that they are the first who can influence it.

The people worked as a community and saw positive results, which generated openness from the people to participate again in these kinds of initiatives.

We linked the private and public sector in a partnership, as both authorities and individuals became a part of the project. It’s important to stress that the School is not administrated by the Local Government GAD or the Prefectura del Azuay; it is administrated by the Education Ministry which belongs to the Central Ecuadorian Government, with opposing ideologies. However, the fact that an independent group, as Huaispichanga, has spearheaded the project, it became feasible since the interest ceased to be political and became purely social.
The Local Government GAD plans to replicate this project in other schools.

We shared this experience with more people so they can get inspired or even replicate it, through the publication of a document and a video that are open sources.

Shaglli Play & Learn

Shaglli is a rural community in the South of Ecuador which has high touristic potential due to its natural spots unique in the region. However, it also suffers from migration especially of its young population leaving to the city. Our project focused on engaging the youngest of the community.

METHODOLOGY

Three main conclusions were presented:

There is a strong presence of children, but they had no place to play.

The youth was migrating to the city because they saw no value in staying.

People agreed there were unique touristic spots around but they were not known.

The proposal was to renovate the playground next to the main school, which was abandoned and not suitable for children to play.

In order to connect children to the local potential, we decided to design each game of the playground based on the important touristic spots, so they could learn more about it and see the value of the region. Each game would be designed, built and named with the community.

The local government of the province and the town would be strategic partners and facilitate the materials in order to make the proposal possible. The materials should not represent an extra cost for the community, so we decided to work with old tires that were available to reuse.

The idea was validated first by the authorities of the local government and the school and then communicated to the children and parents by sending them an invitation to participate.

The games represented the following spots:

Carachula - The City of Stone: Legends are told about the gigantic and particularly shaped stones around the town.

Bolarumi - Is a rock formation balancing on a high elevation. Also known as “the moving stone”.

Mesarrumi and Frailerrumi: Special natural rock formations surrounded by primary vegetation.

Sambohuaico: Magic forest with vast vegetation, ideal for trecks.

San Francisco y Chorrohuaico: Rivers that run-pass Shagglli providing fresh water.

Lagoons: Located at high altitude the lagoons create amazing landscapes, people can fish and watch the herds of wild horses that run around.

A special event was held to inaugurate the playground. The authorities, the teachers, parents, kids and more people from the community gathered to celebrate the achievement.

The result was appealing for children but also for adults, who were happily playing around.

Also, the school decided to improve its installations, they painted the facade and build new stairs to access the school from the playground.

The event was before Christmas and it represented a true present for the community to get together and see their potential with new hopes for a brighter future.

At the end of the project, it is important to evaluate if the objectives have been fully met. Some of the positive outcomes of the project are:

We regenerate an area that was totally abandoned and wasted.

We have a large share of children who became aware of their reality and now know that they are the first who can influence it.

The people worked as a community and saw positive results, which generated openness from the people to participate again in these kinds of initiatives.

The Local Government GAD plans to replicate this project in other schools.

We shared this experience with more people so they can get inspired or even replicate it, through the publication of a document and a video that are open sources.