Supporting a healthy lifestyle through play and exercise: six more new playgrounds constructed in host communities in Armenia

Text and photos by Carlotta Wichmann

During her recent mission to Armenia, Action Against Hunger’s Communications & Safeguarding Officer, Carlotta Wichmann, visited the two playgrounds in Abovyan city (Kotayk province) and Chambarak town (Gegharkunik province) constructed under the UNHCR-funded project “Ensuring durable housing solutions for refugees from Nagorno Karabakh residing in Armenia” implemented by Action Against Hunger. 

The first playground she visited, was designed with consideration of a comprehensive approach: combining play and physical exercise for children and youth. Besides different play equipment, such as a merry-go-round and swing, two types of sports equipment were also installed on this playground. It is worth noting that Abovyan Municipality, in their turn, have assumed the responsibility to install a football field right next to the playground to enhance community members’ access to sport. “We hope that in the future, other local authorities, such as Abovyan’s will envisage this type of expansion of publicly accessible leisure and sport activities to equally benefit locals and refugees, said grounds will happen in other municipalities,” says Action Against Hunger Head of Base in Armenia, Grigori Hovhannisyan. 

Thanks to the partnership with the local authorities and UNHCR, in 2024, a total of six playgrounds have been constructed in several provinces in Armenia: Abovyan and Charentsavan cities and Akunk community (Kotayk province), Gagarin community and Chambarak town (Gegharkunik province) and Parury Sevak community (Ararat province). 

The second project site which she visited, was the newly constructed playground in Chambarak, located near the community centre run by Mission Armenia NGO, which has greatly facilitated easy access to leisure and recreational activities for all those attending the centres on a daily basis. “Before the installation of this playground, there were few opportunities for outside play for children as the available playgrounds in the area are olf and have been damaged by the weather,” said Mission Armenia NGO’s social worker, Zarine Yeghyazaryan. 

Chambarak town is hosting a total of 127 families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.  Along with other vulnerable families living in the community, UNHCR’s partner, Mission Armenia NGO, has been providing refugees, including elderly people and persons with disabilities, with crucial humanitarian assistance, legal counselling, mental health and psycho-social support.  “Now, not only children, but also youth and older people can come and use this playground for exercise. We also have children with disabilities coming to play, together with their parents,” Zarine added.

There are many more host communities in Armenia that are in need of sport and leisure facilities to help community members, including refugees, engage in physical and recreational activities and lead a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Indeed, playgrounds and sport fields play a big part in the lives of the people in every community, particularly in remote towns and villages hosting refugees. By sharing a common and safe space such as a playground, library or community centre, refugees can come together with other community members and interact, cooperate and make new friends.

UNHCR and Action Against Hunger, and other partners working for refugees, join their efforts to create favourable environment for social cohesion and inclusion of the refugees.