Dubai: According to a study which was part of a Unicef programme, out of 5,000 pupils surveyed in the UAE, 68 per cent did little or no exercise a day. Gulf News readers blamed lack of recreational facilities for this. With not enough neighbourhood parks, children are forced to resort to playing on the streets or unused sandy grounds, which endangers their lives and causes inconvenience to other residents. They are usually confined to the four walls of their rooms.
The lack of recreational facilities for children seems to be a common problem for people across the different emirates. Gulf News spoke to readers about the problems they face.
Hakeem Ruba Hashim, a resident of Al Nahda area, Sharjah, has seen children playing on the road or in the open ground nearby.
He said: “There isn’t enough space for children to play. There are a lot of buildings as this is a residential area and only one park, Al Nahda Park. In the evenings, it is congested. Children are thus forced to play on the roads or in the vacant sandy grounds.”
This is an area that experiences a lot of traffic, and the reader is concerned about the safety of the children.
He said: “I’ve seen some children cycling on the main street, which is extremely dangerous! Since it’s a residential area, the speed limit on the roads is 40 kilometres per hour. But, even at that speed, if a child suddenly crosses the road it is very hard for the motorists to stop. Even if we apply sudden brakes, an accident could happen. I urge the authorities to create more recreational facilities for children in this area.”
Taufiq Khatib, a resident of Deira, Dubai, has a similar issue.
He said: “I live along Baniyas Square, and there’s no proper place for children to play. There used to be a Deira Park here, but when the Dubai Metro came up it was broken down. This park was very popular amongst the residents as it was nearby and a great place to walk or play. There was another place nearby called Camel Garden and children used to play there. But suddenly a banner was put up and we were forbidden to play there.”
The reader says they don’t have any options left.
He said: “If you happen to find an empty ground and play there, the people in the neighbourhood complain to the authorities. We have to travel a long distance to find a paid ground, but since there aren’t many it is tough to get a reservation. Neighbourhoods should have proper places to play.”
In Ajman, Sadaf Mousa says that she is frustrated because she doesn’t know where to take her two-year-old son for some playtime.
She said: “We live in the Al Musheiref area and there are only two big parks that I know of. One is a women-only park nearby and it’s hard for me to take my son there as his father isn’t allowed. The second is on the outskirts of Ajman and far from residential areas. There are many buildings in my area, but not a single park.
“Children play in the open grounds, which are used by residents to park. It is very dangerous. If I take my child there, he starts running around and with the cars and trucks entering the lot, I’m afraid he might get injured. How will children play? I have to wait for the weekend for my husband to take us to a park.”
Shatabdi Modak is a resident of Muhaisnah 4, Al Qusais, Dubai and is concerned about the safety of her 11-year-old brother.
She said: “My brother and his friends are always looking for a place to play. They can’t play in the building or on the street. They sometimes take their cycles and take a round of the neighbourhood. There’s a sandy plot close to our building but it’s prohibited to play any games there. What do they do?”
Modak says this is forcing children to stay indoors and get addicted to computer and video games.
She said: “It is so hot outside. My neighbour’s son was playing out a few days ago and fell ill. Since then, I haven’t allowed my brother to go out. However, this means he sits in his room and there is no physical activity. It’s really bad for his health. We’re left with no options!”
Nhelpz P. Al Shamsi, a resident of Umm Al Quwain, faces the same problem.
She said: “There’s a public park here, but it’s not well maintained. The corniche area is open for public to play and have a picnic, but there isn’t much to do. There aren’t even swings or slides installed for the young children. The open beaches are also not safe because of the broken bottles scattered on the shore. I love this emirate, because of its peaceful community, but it can get boring for children.”
Leena Samuel, a resident of the Mussafah area in Abu Dhabi, has a daughter who wants to go out and ride her bicycle.
She said: “We need an indoor cycling arena in Abu Dhabi. I got my daughter a cycle for her birthday, but she can’t ride it in this hot weather and also because there isn’t a cycling facility nearby. She asks me every day if she can go out, but unfortunately, my answer is always no.”
