BUILDING PLAY, TOGETHER
Kisoro, Uganda
Global Design Initiative for Refugee Children
2020 - 2021
The Ineza Children’s Centre is a non-profit that provides education and health services for local youth, with a focus on young girls. GDIRC was brought on after the original playground design exceeded the donor’s budget. With no local precedent for playgrounds and limited construction expertise, the project required close collaboration with the school principal and Foundation director. Together, we developed a cost-effective solution that met the school’s needs. The initial wooden playhouse—featuring a slide, fire pole, bridge, and ladder—was reimagined in steel and concrete to reduce costs and align with local building practices.
The project began at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a challenge to remotely identify materials and construction techniques that would ensure safety while also providing an engaging and challenging play environment for the students. To see more of my work with GDIRC, click here.
Photos courtesy of GDIRC.
COPYRIGHT – MARIYA LUPANDINA, 2025