Early years worker plans children’s garden in Brazilian favela
Anna Pujol-Mazzini
Thursday, April 30, 2015
A former nursery manager is raising funds to build a garden for crèche children in a favela in Rio de Janeiro.
Helen Murray, who previously worked as an area manager for Active Learning nurseries, is now volunteering in the Cantagalo favela of the Brazilian capital and hoping to provide the children with an outdoors play area.
‘My first visit to Brazil in 2008 was shocking as at that time you visibly saw gangs of street kids, grouping together to survive on the streets,’ Ms Murray said.
‘Today the situation is much better, but the issue is now education for the children in the communities.’
‘The crèche staff have no education so it becomes an ever-rotating cycle.’
The childcare practitioner is teaming up with outdoor design and equipment suppliers Playgarden, who have laid out an initial proposal for the design.
The garden will be made predominantly from recycled material and the whole process will be explained, in an attempt to involve staff and children as much as possible.
‘This will create a sense of ownership and sentimental attachment to the garden, which we believe is fundamental in assuring the garden lasts for generations to come,’ Ms Murray wrote on her GoFundMe page.
They are hoping to raise £10,000 by raising funds online and contacting nurseries to organise carnival-style fundraiser parties around the UK.
The initiative would also allow nursery children in the UK to be in touch with their Brazilian counterparts from the crèche in Rio via Skype and photo exchanges.
‘We need to raise as much money as possible to really make this something special, we need shade in the garden and we need to make it safe,’ she added.
‘I also think it is important for the children in the UK to understand that what they have isn’t the same for everyone.’
