Public parks and recreation facilities are any and all buildings, lands and waters, including roadways, recreation equipment, structures and the flora and fauna therein, owned, leased or operated under the jurisdiction of a county or public institution as a park or recreation area and open to the general public for park or recreation purposes.
In Nairobi and other towns, majority of the residents live in slums and informal settlements where there are no parks or recreational spaces which harms the residents and creates substantial costs for the nation as a whole.
The benefits of parks and recreational spaces include but are not limited to
- public health benefits
- quality of life
- environmental benefits
- economic benefits
- social benefits etc.
If you are wondering why I am writing about open spaces, wonder no more. On Sunday I happened to find myself in a space an entrepreneur has created as a children play area and was astonished at how many parents (thank goodness there were as many fathers as there were mothers) had taken their children to play and I realized how much our planners, developers and counties have failed us in provision of places for rest and recreation.
While I laud this particular business (wo)man, I noticed also that they have opened themselves to a million and one lawsuits. And the county as a licensing agency would also be liable in the event there were any accidents. There is not one equipment on that site that could pass as safe for children’s use but I think the parents would rather a place for their kids to play than nothing
a mama pushing her baby on a pushcart
the only safe equipment was this inflatable whatever
even this one was not safe
the less said the better
parents and children having a good Sunday
And in other related news, yours truly had a great Friday evening with friends where we did a demonstration of how hell fire would be and other interesting things. All the furniture is made by my friend who played host.
demonstration of how some of you will burn in hell
if you rotate this photo, I asure you, you will see your gracious host
we had a sermon by candle light just before we tossed those who were to burn into the furnace
the miniature version of hell
And in very interesting news, my other friend has a farm in Nairobi and we visited.
from here, we got very fresh vegetables. watu wa nairobi you can all eat all the sewage mbogas you want, as for me and my family, we will eat organic
the yoghurt from these cows was delicious
i have not seen healthier hens in a long time
Random thoughts 
We all need safe play areas, fresh air, clean water, & good food.
I see many more fathers as well as mothers here too.
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safe open spaces are important. they satisfy many needs
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An outstanding, posting, my Kenyan brother! Excellent and a very good summation on the advantages and benefits of public recreation for everyone. One of the secondary benefits that public leisure spaces provide is an informal socialization opportunity for both grandparents and parents of children. This allows many to build a network of informal resources for both knowledge and recreation! Great job and amazing photography! ๐ Naked hugs!
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Very important and I agree
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The park doesn’t look too different from many seen here, and depending on how hard the ground is, a grassed surface is usually perfectly fine.
But your comment about lawsuits stopped me in my tracks. This is not something that Kiwis even think about. While the owner of such facilities could be charged with criminal negligence if their action or omission created a dangerous situation, he/she will never have to face a lawsuit from an angry parent because little Tommy or Tania broke their arm after falling off a bouncy castle.
We haven’t been able to sue for personal injury since the 1970s when our universal no-faults accident compensation scheme was introduced The scheme covers all costs for medical and other treatment, loss of income, social rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, and lump sums for permanent disabilities.
While the scheme has its flaws, I think it’s more equitable because everyone gets the level of compensation they need, whereas with lawsuits, the skills of legal counsel, and the relative wealth of claimant and defendant, makes it almost like a lottery.
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We rarely have lawsuits but when I looked at the equipment there, I was worried for the owner. We don’t have social protections like those. If you get injured, you are basically on your own.
Grass is good as a surface.
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