Most of Yerevan’s thirty or so playgrounds are unsafe for children. That’s the conclusion reached by an investigative team from the “Public Awareness and Monitoring Center” NGO. The NGO president Mari Chakryan started the initiative “Safe playgrounds for your kids and mine” approved under EU Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility.

Our team found out that many of Yerevan’s playgrounds are strewn with litter, swings and carousels are broken, due to which even accidents have been registered, sanitary conditions are bad, dump sites, instead of sand, dust, etc. Security is not ensured in the playgrounds: often petrol stations, gas stations, electricity transformers are situated in their neighborhood, or they can be very close to the highway. It is not clear who is responsible for it, there is not a constant control.

In cooperation with the Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies of National Academy of Sciences, has been carried out a sampling from about 30 playgrounds of all-12 districts of Yerevan to understand the ecological condition.

We are developing a monitoring check-list on the basis of best international standards with the help of a lawyer and a architect.

Due to this initiative we would like to raise public awareness about the problem, to contribute to the formation of an informed and demanding civil society, through the promotion of public, particularly young parents’ participation in decision-making concerning children's outdoor playgrounds, to improve cooperation between the local administration, service providers and the community, and to  promote equitable management and civic participation.

Public Awareness and Monitoring Center