It's difficult to imagine a happier sound than laughing, squealing children playing in a park on jungle gyms and swing sets. Until recently, seven Compassion-assisted neighborhoods in East India didn't know that wonderful sound.

Yet generous gifts to the Partners of Compassion (POC) Fund, enabling project workers to build children's recreational areas and install playground equipment in these seven communities, have changed that scenario. The nearly 1,200 children attending the centers in and around Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), one of India's most neglected regions, now enjoy the type of carefree fun that is almost a given in many Western neighborhoods.

Why Playground Equipment?

Building children's play areas and installing recreational equipment for each of the seven Compassion-assisted centers was a priority. The poor communities these projects serve have few government schools and lack infrastructures, educational aids and safe play areas necessary to children's healthy development.

By using POC funds, Compassion India staff members were able to purchase the playground equipment for these impoverished projects. Meanwhile, the church partners for these seven communities are building fences to ensure the play areas' safety and assembling the recreational equipment.

Thanks to the POC Fund, many more of Compassion India's children — and their friends — can enjoy carefree play in safe, Compassion-assisted environments. And because they are learning valuable social-interaction skills — including sharing, teamwork and respect for others — those skills will help serve them for the rest of their lives.