As football took centre stage in Fiji during the OFC Women’s Nations Cup, Australia’s Assistant Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Senator Nita Green, made a special visit that shone a light on OFC’s flagship football for development initiative, Just Play.
The Minister dropped in on a Just Play session at Sabeto Sangam School, near Nadi, joining children for an activity themed around gender equality. The visit highlighted the important role sport plays in shaping inclusive, healthy, and resilient communities across the Pacific.
After the visit, Minister Green shared her thoughts on Facebook: “With a ball, coach, and a safe place to play, the OFC Just Play program harnesses passion for football and promotes stronger inclusion and important life skills. Students learn about respectful relationships and the value of teamwork.
Just Play is part of the Australian Government’s Team Up sports for development program, highlighting our shared love of sport across the Pacific. Vinaka vakalevu to everyone for your warm hospitality.”
Master Edwin Akchari, a teacher at the school explained how the programme’s different themes, including gender equality, hygiene, and disaster preparednes, have made a meaningful impact on students.
“Having the Just Play programme at my school helps in a lot of ways. For example, the handwashing theme taught the kids the importance of washing their hands at the right times.
The current theme, disaster preparedness, has been really effective. After just two sessions, the students now know all the emergency contact numbers. It’s really opened their eyes.”
Akchari also praised the gender equality focus, saying it has encouraged boys and girls to interact more freely and participate equally on the field.
“You can really see the difference. Before, the girls would mostly sit under a tree while the boys played. Now, they’re all mixing together and enjoying the games as one group.”
The Just Play Programme continues to be a key tool in promoting social inclusion and positive behaviour change through the power of football, supported by partners including the Australian Government through Team Up.
OFC’s Just Play is a Football for Good programme that promotes learning through play, integrating messages of health, gender equality, social inclusion, safeguarding, play and physical activity through active and fun participation in football. The programme has reached close to 500,000 children aged 6–18 years across the Pacific since it was founded in 2009.
In 2025 Just Play is being delivered in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The programme is made possible with the support of our partners Australian Aid, Team Up, UEFA Foundation for Children, UNICEF and UN Women.
Photo credit: Fiji FA Just Play Media