but the girls eventually saw it as an insult that only benefited their families, so they went to school under duress with poor results. The education-for-oil equation had negative psycho-social effects on the students. How did playgrounds change the equation? In 2008, with the aid of PGB, we established the first girl's school playground at Tajwar Sultan Girls High School in Kabul. After only a week, we saw results. The director communicated to me that most of the permanently absent students had re-enrolled simply because of a new educational environment that included play. What do the kids think? Students express much happiness and thank us for the provision. When we were establishing the second playground in Malaka Suray Girls High School in Kabul, we met a representative from the Ministry of Education who asked if we were the people who installed the play equipment at Tajwar Sultana School. I said yes and he thanked me profoundly because his two granddaughters studied there. Before, his granddaughters couldn't wait for Friday because it's "off" day in Afghanistan, but now they couldn't wait for Saturday, because there was a sport period during which they could play. Has this had any effect on learning? Before these projects, it seems, students weren't psycho-socially prepared to be educated. After, they seem more than willing to be educated and take their own initiative with it. Even teachers use the equipment in their free time. Playground Builders of Canada has now provided safe playing areas to more than