HÀ NỘI — A project to build playgrounds for children in urban areas won a US$3,500 prize on Saturday. 

Think Playground, a Hà Nội-based social enterprise, overcame 38 competitors in the “Raising Awareness on Green City Solutions in Vietnam” competition hosted by the Danish Embassy.

The enterprise came up with the idea of creating workshops on using recyclable materials to make play equipment for children. The workshops will provide children, parents, volunteers and other community stakeholders with craft skills to maintain and protect public playgrounds.

Nguyễn Tiêu Quốc Đạt, co-founder of Think Playground, said the award would encourage further efforts.

“People think children in the cities enjoy more favourable conditions than those in countryside. The reality is quite the reverse. Urban areas cannot offer them big playgrounds,” Đạt said.

“The award will help us mobilise community resources to build playgrounds in urban areas,” he added.

In the southern region, CHANGE Vietnam, a non-government organisation, won the $3,500 prize for their idea of iCHANGE PLASTICS campaign attempting to changes people’s habit of using plastic through the Internet.

Speaking at the awarding ceremony, Charlotte Laursen, Danish Ambassador to Việt Nam, expressed her belief in the projects’ potential to make Việt Nam a better and sustainable place for all.

Nguyễn Thế Hùng, vice chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee, highly appreciated the event as an opportunity for citizens to learn about Danish innovations in urban design. He said it was an important initiative in the context of Hà Nội building a smart city model, as well as one that would foster exchange of experiences and consolidate friendship.

The competition was conducted under the framework of “Danish week - Sustainable City Solutions” campaign held from December 12 to 17 in Hà Nội and HCM City, focusing on supporting UN’s Sustainable Development Goal number 11: To make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Organised by Embassy of Denmark in co-operation with National University of Civil Engineering in Hà Nội (NUCE) and University of Architecture HCM City (UAH), the campaign comprised a series of events including exhibitions, seminars, film screenings, masterclasses and a competition on practical ideas for greener and cleaner cities. — VNS