New Children's Park For Kumasi

Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies (FRWB), an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Kumasi, has begun preparations to establish an ultra-modern children's park in Kumasi to be named after the Asantehene.

The Otumfuo Children's Park, as it will be called, is to be sited at Dakwadwom, a suburb of Kumasi where FRWB has developed a large green belt along River Setan for that purpose.

Nana Kwabena Dwomo-Sarpong, Executive Director of the NGO, told the Junior Graphic that his outfit was seeking funding for the project's take-off by January 2009.

The Otumfuo Children's Park will have facilities such as a modern library and a playground among others.

Kumasi currently has no functional children's park that befits its status as Ghana's second largest city.

The Kumasi Children's Park, which is the only place reserved for children's recreational activities, is virtually dead.

Armed robbers, drug addicts and other criminals have taken over a greater part of the park. A church is also located on the park.

 The decision by Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies to build a new children's park is, therefore, welcome news for many in the city.

 Nana Dwomo-Sarpong said he decided to name the park after Otumfuo because of his interest in the welfare of children, especially their education.

 He said the Asantehene also takes great interest in the protection of water sources and was very instrumental in protecting the land allotted for the park.

Story by Kwame Asare Boadu.