Children Being Children
A community-based space for learning, play and growth in Butre, Ghana
What if children simply had more space to be children?
In the small fishing community of Aona and Butre on Ghana’s west coast, children take on responsibilities from an early age. Beyond school and household duties, there are few safe spaces where they can simply play, explore, create, and develop their own ideas.
Children Being Children aims to create exactly such a place: an open, inclusive, and community-rooted space where children can play, learn, create, move, and grow without performance pressure.
The project is located at the Zero Km House in Butre and is part of the TETEC. It builds on smaller activities that have already taken place like creative afternoons, kids partys, volleyball net making from old water sachets and now aims to turn these beginnings into a permanent community space.
What we want to create
The space will include:
a creative library for books, reading, arts and crafts
an outdoor learning and discovery garden
movement and sensory areas
child-friendly washing and sanitation facilities
spaces for workshops, free play, and community activities
Our approach is child-centered and participatory. Children learn through play, experience, creativity, projects, and interaction. The focus is on curiosity, self-efficacy, responsibility, and community rather than performance.
Our financial goal
The estimated full start-up budget is 100.000 €
60.000 € Construction / adaptation of community space
10.000 € Child-friendly infrastructure & sanitation
10.000 € Furniture
5.000 € Sports & outdoor equipment
5.000 € Training for facilitators & youth leaders
5.000 € Organizational & set-up costs
5.000 € Contingency
donated Creative materials & books
Once established, the estimated running costs are around 1.000 € per month, mainly covering local facilitators, materials, utilities, maintenance, activities, and coordination.
A community-built space
Children Being Children is not a traditional aid project. It builds on existing strengths, resources, relationships, and local knowledge. We want to create a place where children can read, make things, run, explore, imagine, ask questions, take responsibility – and simply be children.
The project is supported financially and organizationally through Yenko e.V. – Förderung von Handwerk, Umwelt und Bildung in Afrika, a newly established German non-profit association supporting crafts, environmental initiatives, and education in Africa.
Help us take the first step
We are raising 10.000 € to get Children Being Children started!
Every contribution makes a difference. Larger donations can be transferred directly to the Yenko e.V. association account.
Would you like to become a partner and support us in another way? We’d love to hear from you.
Every contribution helps create a space where children can play, create, learn and grow.
