Press Release

Kabul Mayor Dedicates Safety Park for Children

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN  | Wednesday, September 05, 2007

On September 5, 2007, Kabul Mayor Rohullah Aman dedicated the recently completed Safety Park for children at Park Shar-e-Naw. 

Funded through a donation from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to Kabul Municipality, the park was conceived after Kabul Municipality Greenery Director Haji Habibiullah saw a similar park on a USAID-sponsored trip to India.  He believed that the children of Kabul could benefit from this space for play and learning.

According to Eng Diane Hanfi of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), who led the design and construction of the park, the Safety Park combines two essential elements. “The Safety Park is a play area that also enhances awareness and understanding of traffic issues for children.  It will teach children to be safer whether walking to school or to the market,” says Eng Diane.  Eng Diane worked tirelessly to make the park a reality and is a model for the valuable contribution women make to Afghan society.

In an exciting partnership, the Areeba cell phone company has agreed to sponsor the Safety Park. In addition to providing three park employees, Areeba staff members have ‘adopted’ the park and will do landscaping and maintenance to reflect their commitment to Kabul citizens.