A DAY OF UNITY

Today has been a great day and a public holiday - South Africa was celebrating human rights day. At Project Playground/Play on Wheels we acknowledged the day with a workshop which was focused on UNITY. Although Play on Wheels is a division of Project Playground and hence a part of the organization, there has until now been a “us and them”-feeling between the two groups. The objective of today´s gathering was to create a feeling of togetherness and make everyone understand that we are ONE team – ONE unit. The organization would not be the same if one of the staff members was missing – each and every one of them is extremely important in order for the operation to survive. Not to forget that every one of them is also a unique person – with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. But in a group one person´s weakness is uplifted by another person´s strengths resulting in a strong and harmonized team. All for one, one for all. From today I do believe that the fundamental strength of Project Playground will be based on a feeling of unity.

 The day ended with a soccer game – Santos versus Golden Arrow. Without actually taking notice of it before the game I suddenly realized at some point during the match that today´s theme of a unity coincidentally – or somehow maybe consciously – was brought all the way to the stand. We were a group, represented by both Project Playground and Play on Wheels AND one of the participants from Play on Wheels. And we were having an amazing time- together, as a smaller unity of Project Playground. The feeling of “us and them” was completely vanished. Obviously the workshop earlier today made a great impact on our perceptions of each other. But I would also give some credit of this wonderful communion to the soccer. I am not a soccer fan, but I have to admit that it is a sport that creates a genuine sense of togetherness. In addition to manage to join Project Playground and Play on Wheels in a very organic way, our group had all of a sudden grown to include the people sitting next to us. They were children from another race, with another color, speaking another language. But just like in the perfect unity our differences implied fantastic assets rather than obstacles. Together we had more fun than we would have had without each other. But I would probably never had met this kids if it wasn´t for the soccer.

To sum up this day, I have more than any time before understood the power of unity. Many thanks to Project Playground/Play on Wheels and to Santos/Golden Arrow for this enlightenment!