Hollywood actor Forest Whitaker through its foundation Whitetaker Peace and Development Initiative together with partners have launched children friendly space in Juba yesterday at the community center in support of peace building South Sudan.
The Naguib Sawiris playground was
initiated in September 2017 by Mr. Neguib Sawiris.
Speaking during the launch,Deng Deng Hoc,Minister of General
Education said that Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative is very important
especially for the youth of South Sudan who are the majority.
“With this initiative we can inspire many young people who
have lost hope and this is very important for them and for us the people of
South Sudan,” Minister Deng said.
Mr. Forest Whitaker, United Nations Education
Science and Cultural Organisation’s Special Envoy for Peace, Social Activist
and Development Initiative said the playground will enable children have some
true feelings of joy.
“The playground allows children to be able to take chances
away to play freely. The children who are here are able to play here, to be
able to feel free, to be able to be happy, to meet their joy, their future, to
be able to laugh, to be able to be relieved from all the problems in the spaces
that are going on in this country,” Whitaker said.
Meanwhile,Mr. Neguib Sawiris the donor of the children’s
playground highlighted that all he wished was the best for the children.
“Jesus said that children are the love of God and all I wish
is for the children to have fun, joy and to laugh because they give people a
lot of joy,”Sawiris said.
Fardos Taban Elisha who represented the children during the
ceremony said the playground is the first type of its kind in the country and
it is very important for them.