The OFC Just Play team in Solomon Islands took its COVID-19 Awareness campaign over to Ulawa Island at the end of last month, ensuring the Pirupiru Community High School and Mwaradja village communities have the information they need to stay safe from the virus.

It is the first-ever Just Play Festival to be held in the Makira Ulawa province with just over 150 people turning up for the event at Pirupiru school.

“The festival was mainly for 13 to 18 year olds, therefore the Mwadjo’a and Moli Community High Schools were involved. Before the festival started we collected the names of the students that are there to participate in the COVID-19 awareness festival and the total number of students attained was 152,” organisers said in a statement.

The COVID-19 Awareness campaign was based on the eight steps of hand-washing such as wash hands to keep germs away, protect yourselves from germs and use your voice.

The children move from station to station, taking part in different types of games with awareness messages allocated for each station.

After the successful completion of the first festival, the team went on to organise a second festival on Saturday 22nd August 2020 at Mwaradja village involving partners like churches, the provincial Government and the local police.

Close to 300 children took part in the festival, 172 of them girls, aged from 6-12 years old.

The two festivals concluded with mini-tournaments with six girl’s and five boy’s teams and a rotation of substitutes to ensure game time for all the participants.

The OFC Just Play Solomon Islands team will be continuing to deliver the COVID-19 Awareness campaign and festivals with Vella la vella and Gizo in Western Province next on the calendar.

Just Play Solomon Islands acknowledges its donor partners the Australian Government, Football Federation Australia, the New Zealand Government, UNICEF, UEFA Foundation for Children and OFC & SIFF for their support.

Just Play Solomon Islands also like to acknowledge the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health for COVID-19 posters and pamphlets.

Story courtesy of Solomon Islands Football Federation