Who said Hula-Hooping isn't fun?

Probably no-one, but I can honestly say that I have witnessed the fun to be had (and skill required) whilst hula hooping, first hand. And this was my favourite part of volunteering at Children on the Edge in Aceh, Indonesia. Watching the beautiful girls running around the centre, wearing their compulsory Muslim Jilbab, hula-hooping. They would hula-hoop the afternoon away, whilst casually walking around, chatting to each other and even racing each other, all whilst hula hooping. They looked so natural and barely even moved; the hoop just effortlessly whirled around their waists. These girls were about 8 or 9 years old with tiny frames, and these hula hoops were heavy. Its no wonder they are so good, the threat of a dropping the heavy hoops on your toes is reason enough to improve your skills.

These kids, put simply, are amazing. Surviving the 2004 tsunami means they have lived through seeing some horrible things and probably lost family and friends. Yet, seeing these kids in action, whether it be hula-hooping, playing on the swings, chasing a soccer ball or making a paper plate mask, you would never pick this. Rebuilding an area that was pretty much wiped out has been a long and troublesome process for the thousands left homeless and initiatives like the Child and Community Centre are taking another step in this process. Instead of just putting bricks and mortar into place, they are rebuilding the heart and soul of the community through play.

Experiencing this and contributing to this healing process was an incredible experience. Teaching the kids new activities and hearing stories of how much they have bloomed since the centre opened made me realise why I was there. Would I go back? Definitely. Would I recommend you to volunteer on or get involved in fundraising for the next playscheme? Hell Y.E.S!



Liz Yeo - Marketing Chic