FIRST Lady Mrs. Arya Ali on Friday commissioned the newly-rehabilitated Children’s Play Park at the National Park.

The new children’s park falls under the First Lady’s national beautification project, which has since seen five parks and public spaces being commissioned to the benefit of thousands across the country.
Delivering the feature remarks at the commissioning ceremony, Mrs. Ali noted that parks hold enormous value, which can easily be taken for granted.

While noting that these ‘spaces’ are considered essential public services, she said that a robust ecosystem of public parks, along with frequent recreational programmes for public participation significantly elevate the status of communities, which is what her national beautification project aims to do.

Against this backdrop, she noted that the project undertaken at the National Park to upgrade the children’s park has seen it being outfitted with amenities like swings and slides, game boards, washroom facilities, free WIFI and security systems and a splash pad.

Other amenities include seating, streetlights on concrete poles, and decorative lighting among the trees that will allow for the park to be enjoyed at any time of the day or night.
“The splash pad, which was the first to be set up in a public park in Guyana, is an area in the park fitted with a safety surface and various nozzles and features that can shower, spray, rain, mist and shoot streams of water to create an exciting place of recreational water play for children,” the First Lady said.

She added that while parks like this one play an important role in the development of children, parents need to remain vigilant, and ensure that their children adhere to the rules of the facility at all times.
Mrs. Ali also implored persons to treat the amenities with care, and noted that it is saddening to see how many amenities like these at other parks have been damaged and destroyed.

“These investments are made by the government to ensure our children have a better quality of life, and we must never jeopardise that,” she expressed.
Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, in his remarks at the commissioning ceremony, told the gathering that the Government of Guyana is proud to invest in this newly enhanced area of the National Park, which was driven by the vision of the First Lady.

According to the minister, the objectives of the project were clear: To transform the National Park into a vibrant family-oriented environment.
He added that the effort represents a $95 million investment in the people, which was made even more meaningful as it was carried out by small and medium-sized contractors.
“The enhancements we are introducing today represent a fresh and modern design tailored to the needs of our community,” Minister Edghill said.

Meanwhile, it was noted that a management committee has been established to provide oversight and ensure that the park is properly managed and maintained, in order to ensure that children are able to enjoy its benefits in the long term.