Children Park – a type of real social business

(example of MOON PARK & MOON HOUSE)

This was also published in The News Today 09 Dec 2010 and other blogs

http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=14376&date=2010-12-09

http://www.bdcomcn.com/English-Articles/children-park-a-type-of-real-social-business-of-moon-park-a-moon-house.html

 http://bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidRecord=343086  



Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, of Bangladesh while addressing the prize giving ceremony of a painting competition at Dhaka Osmani Smriti Auditorium on October 18, 2010, has directed the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to recover all the children’s parks in the capital. The prime minister, according to UNB Dhaka, vowed to establish a safe and prosperous Bangladesh for every child.

Yes, there is no doubt that concerned authorities would try their best to recover all government children parks, no matter how successful they would be to maintain and keep the campaign according to given directives from the highest executive of the government. But I, like many others, am little wondered as to how much those local influential illegal occupants have gone regarding places like Children parks too. There is no need to emphasize the requirement of children parks for the over all development of a total Children. Considering their importance’s, government did their parts and hopefully would continue doing the best in this regard always. But we being the brothers and sisters, parents and relatives, teachers and lovers of every child also got to think and do exactly in the same way as our Prime Minister thought and gave directives.

Because the government can not establish more and more children parks all of a sudden, and because we all also have the morale and social responsibilities too for all the children, so, we got to also do some thing, either individually or being in a group. We may think of taking following measures to ensure so that more and more children get the facilities of Children parks:

1. Authorities of schools and other educational institutions may consider establishing children parks at their own premises, no matter how small or big those could be. They should also ensure the proper maintenances of all existing children parks.

2. Those who, specially at rural area, can effort to make few items of children park at their own premises may also make such facilities available for their own and local children. There are few such items directly related to physical exercises which don’t need lot of space, cost or electricity. Besides, such can be made with collective efforts too. Some one may also think of making the same at their roof top at city location too. The idea is so that every child gets the minimum facilities of Children Park.

3. Many rich people of our society already have hundreds and thousands of “Farm Houses” (bagan bari in bengali pronunciation) of their own. Those are indeed their spare houses out side the city areas mostly for their personal leisure and pleasure. Of course I am not trying to say any thing against their farm houses, however, would like to humbly suggest so that they could also think of making those, whole or part of those, in to some thing like children park for the local children and thus allow local children to play there either free of cost or with little ticket money. We always talk about social responsibilities and social businesses. Arranging such facilities for the children could be one of the best social responsibilities. Again the concepts of social businesses often emphasized by our Noble Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus are known to the whole world and also widely discussed. So, from that point of view too, some token ticket money may also be charged from incoming children, however, the ticket fee got to be within affordable limit of those rural parents too.

Frankly speaking, I won’t suggest any of above if I won’t believe on those totally. I use to always think in the past about these children park facilities for our rural poor children. That is the reason I tried to establish two such children park at my own according to my personal interest, planning, limited economic capabilities and efforts. Spending my pension money, I have established one Children park named Moon Park at village PIRUJALI in General Area Hotapara, Gazipur. The area is near writer Humayun Ahmed’s Nuhash Polli and really green and comfortable in all seasons.

Well, for this case, I tried to establish and experiences by myself first and then now trying to suggest some thing for others too. It is said in the religion also that you try to do the same first before you suggest the same to others. When ever, I heard or read about the social businesses expressed by noble laureate Dr. Yunus, tried to think and identify as to how many types of social businesses could there be, specially for a country like Bangladesh? I also tried to think always as to what maximum social benefits can be offered with what minimum charges from different types of social businesses. Well, there can be many different types, but, for me, I have desired to do some thing related to children’s health, enjoyment, excitement, mental growth, physical exercise etc, and so thought of establishing one children park for them as part of so-well-discussed social business.

Now at this stage, being little encouraged by the noble directives of honorable prime minister of Bangladesh, I have only one aim of mentioning this as an example and that is, so that others who are interested may also establish such children parks at different parts of our country. Besides, those who are already having their Farm Houses (bagan bari) may also become interested as well as feel responsible to tern their those farm houses, part or whole, into children park for the local rural children and allow them to play either free of charge or with little token ticket money.

“Moon Park” is a small eco friendly green garden which is also used for picnic or outing spot for those city people who may afford to rent it and be interested to enjoy the green nature as part of their rest and refreshment. However, the focus is always given to the local children’s playing and that is why the word “park” is associated with it’s name. Any one may be wondered to know that a local child may visit and play at Moon Park with only taka ten ($ US 10 cents only) per person. The Moon Park was inaugurated on 14 April 2010 (pohela boishak) through arrangement of boishakhi mela (local fair organized on the bengali new year) where all the incoming children along with their parents, friends and relatives were allowed to go inside and play with free of charge. Surprisingly the total presence on that very single day crossed the figure 2500 (almost 100% children of that general area) which really proved in my mind that, yes, our children really need such facilities. I also felt very comfortable inside for being able to make one such park for our rural children. The smiling faces of our rural deprived children are still in my memories, pictures of which can also be shared by readers from below web link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/113734232071731875096/MoonPark#

“Moon House” is also another such place, same eco friendly garden with children park facilities where children can not only play but also see life birds and fishes. No matter how many facilities children are enjoying inside but only taka 30 ($ US 40 cents only) is charged per person. It is designed to be a real safe house for the playing of children and that is why the word “house” is associated with it’s name.

It may be mention that the eco friendly green gardens of both Moon Park and Moon House are also attracting foreigners and as such contributing to the tourism in Bangladesh too. Hope the scope of tourism in this sector would also increase in future.

I hope both Moon Park and Moon House would be able to contribute for children’s playing in the long run as part of social businesses in real sense. I also hope that many other persons having similar feelings like me would also try to do some thing better for our children which are so necessary for their total development. Children would carry us forward, they are our future hopes and so we must do our best to do best for them.

For those who may be interested to know about Moon House and Moon Park for their picnic or outing purposes may also brows below web link:

http://www.moonhousemoonpark.com/

 email: moonhouse.moonpark@gmail.com,

The 9th general election of Bangladesh is knocking on the door. Within a few hours 80 million Bangladeshi voters will go into the polls. To be a winner, either a single party or a coalition of parties will need at least 151 of the 300 parliament seats.

We have seen some professional opinion polls in recent times in Bangladesh. In November the first Daily Star- Nielsen Opinion poll was published. Some salient points:

* It reveals there is every possibility that about 37 percent of the voters will swing, with 14 percent already determined that they will not vote for the party they chose in last election and 23 percent have not decided which party to vote for, meaning they could go either way.

* The parties have 40 percent of the voters as their solid support base who said they would vote for the same party as in last election.

In December 25, 2008 the second Daily Star- Nielsen Opinion poll was published. It revealed that the political parties are going to face more conscious voters this time and they hold strong opinions about the way the main two parties behave:

* 77 percent are satisfied with the role of the caretaker government

* A large portion of the respondents felt the parties did not nominate competent candidates. To a question which party nominated more competent candidates, 54 percent of the respondents said they think AL has nominated more competent candidates than BNP while 26 percent think BNP has nominated more competent persons than its archrival.

* On manifestos – 53 percent voted for AL while 25 percent for BNP. JP, Jamaat and other parties combined could get only 2 percent votes each.

* 61 percent said honesty of candidates would influence their voting decision most and 31 percent said they would look into the candidates’ educational qualification. The survey shows 18 percent of the respondents said they would look for dedicated party candidates to vote.

With all these factors it becomes difficult to predict the election results. This time around a lot of additional factors are working. The new demarcation of constituency will play a role. Multiple candidates from the same alliance, rebel leaders of both AL & BNP and bad candidate choice of AL can make a difference of 10-30 seats which may turn out to be very significant in terms of election outcome. However it has been observed in Bangladesh in last two elections that the opposition bench in the immediate past parliament has emerged as winners.

I have analyzed the phenomenon of swing voters basing on the results of the 2001 elections to predict the outcomes of 2008 election results. The factors considered in the analysis are, i) % of vote swing from 4 party alliance to grand alliance, ii) Voting pattern of the new voters (about 30 % of the total voters), iii) Loyality of JP supporters towards the grand alliance, iv) The effect of ‘NO’ vote on the new voters.

(Click on the image to expand)

The factors of the above scenarios:

a) No vote swing from 14 party to 4 party, 90% of JP voters go for Mohajote, 10 % opt for 4 party. No change in the new voter voting pattern.
b) No vote swing (as above) However, among the new voters, 50 % go for Al led mohajote, and 40 % vote for 4 Party.
c) No vote swing from 14 party to 4 party, 60% of JP voters go for Mohajote, 40% opt for 4 party.

But if we put the vote swing factors in effect we can see these predictions emerging:

(Click on the image to expand)

The factors of the above scenarios are:

d) 5% vote swing from 14 party to 4 party, 90% of JP voters go for Mohajote, 10 % opt for 4 party. No change in the new voter voting pattern.
e) 5% swing from 14 party to 4 party, 90% of JP voters go for Mohajote, 10 % opt for 4 party. However, among the new voters, 50 % go for Al led mohajote, and 40 % vote for 4 Party.
f) 5% swing from 14 party to 4 party, 60% of JP voters go for Mohajote, 40 % opt for 4 party (Unloyal JP supporter factor). 50 % of the new voters go for AL, 40 % for BNP led alliance
g) 5% swing from 14 party to 4 party, 60% of JP voters go for Mohajote, 40 % opt for 4 party (Unloyal JP supporter factor). 30% of the new voters go for AL, 25 % for BNP led alliance, assuming widespread no votes.
h) 2% swing from 14 party to 4 party, 60% of JP voters go for Mohajote, 40 % opt for 4 party (Unloyal JP supporter factor). 30% of the new voters go for AL, 25 % for BNP led alliance, assuming widespread no votes.

To me the most likely scenario would be either options e) or option f).