Project:Parachute

Children have the right to play and the right to access the arts.

Article 31 of the United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child

The simple act of laughter can have a powerful therapeutic influence on children and adults alike. Laughter is a part of a normal healthy childhood.

The laughter of children seems like such a small, insignificant, transient thing.

Until it falls silent.

Children who have lived through periods of extreme trauma, be they war, famine or a random act of extreme violence have little to smile about. Their laughter falls silent.

Project:Parachute aims to introduce a drop of laughter into the lives of these children.

The laughter of a child is the hope for a better tomorrow. Just like a child's laughter, hope is infectious.

Project Parachute

[ Children playing a parachute game. ]

The Project

The primary purpose of Project:Parachute is to supply parachute canopies (or "play-sails") to places where children have suffered through highly traumatic events, be the war, natural disaster or a random act of extreme violence. The parachutes can then be used for inclusive play sessions based on parachute games.

The parachutes are delivered as part of Play and Performance Tours being operated by partner organisations. Depending on the circumstances of the Tour, the Anne Harris Children's Fund may also make a donation towards the Tour's travel costs. We may also fund the purchase of other small toys and play-related items, such as balls, hoops, etc.

To find out where our parachutes have so far been delivered, please go here.

Parachute Play

Parachute canopies (also known as play-sails) can be used for a variety of inclusive, cooperative games. These encourage the development of teamwork, social interaction and other life-skills as well as being great fun!

Relatively cheap and simple to produce and operate, play-sails fold down to a small size, so can be easily transported by an individual without exceding normal airline luggage limitations.

And the only other ingredients needed to turn a parachute into fun and games are someone to lead the games and children who want to play!

Where Are They?

To date, The Anne Harris Children's Fund has supplied parachutes to:

  • Beslan, Russia. The scene of a massacre in School Number One in 2004. The parachutes where delivered as part of a privately-funded Play and Performance Tour in 2005.
  • Palestine and Israel. In 2006, Boomchucka Circus delivered parachutes as part of a Play and Performance Tour of these troubled countries.

For more information on how our parachutes get to their destinations, please go here.

How Do They Get There?

Our parachutes go to some dangerous places, often into conflict or post conflict zones. In order to deliver our parachutes, we work with partner organisations who are operating within or visiting the target region.

A list of partner organisations will soon be available here.