A delegation from the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF), which included general secretary Eddie Ngava, special projects manager Phillip Ohoto’ona and women’s development officer Diane Justus travelled south to oversee the launch.
Accompanying the SIFF team was OFC women’s development officer and Just Play coordinator Emmie Sope, who had the opportunity to witness first hand some of the challenges experienced in implementing the programme in the football-mad nation.
The launch in the suburb of Kiu involved 13 primary schools from the area and two villages, and a total of 24 people underwent training on the delivery of Just Play.
Over 60 young children took part and Ohoto’ona says the programme was received very enthusiastically.
“We are very pleased with the launch, especially concerning community acceptance,” he says.
“Just Play is a grassroots programme and its success is based on the willingness of local stakeholders to be involved. I anticipate that a similar success for the programme will be experienced when it moves to the northern and central regions of Malaita province.”
A second launch proposed for Afio in East Are’Are did not eventuate due to communication problems and will be postponed until a later date.
Ohoto’ona says the postponement is a minor glitch in the so far successful implementation of Just Play since its launch in the Solomons last year.
The next province on the 2011 rollout schedule for Just Play is Guadalcanal and the launch will take place in the eastern region of the province.
Just Play is a unique grassroots programme which promotes physical activity for primary-aged children while encouraging community involvement and healthy living.
Developed by the OFC social responsibility and technical departments, Just Play was launched in Vanuatu last April and has since been introduced in Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and South Auckland in New Zealand.
Next on the agenda are Fiji and Papua New Guinea while OFC is also currently working in New Zealand with Special Olympics (NZ) on a Just Play programme for people with mental disabilities.
OFC is working closely with UEFA, the Government of Australia – through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) – and Football Federation Australia (FFA) to roll out the programme across the Pacific. The Australian Government has shown its support to the project by contributing AU$4million.
In South Auckland, Just Play is supported by OFC’s partnership with the Sir John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation, Counties Manukau Sport and Auckland Football Federation.
For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb