How Just Play is Helping to Kick Dengue Out of the Pacific

 Kids doing Just Play demonstration during the OCF Champions 

league match © UNICEF Pacific/2014/Melissa Palombi

Kicking off the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Champions League tournament in Fiji, was the Just Play team in celebration of the 1st International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. The OFC, Ministry of Health of Fiji, Ministry of Youth and Sport of Fiji and UNICEF Pacific, joined together, linking sport and health, in support of the “Kick Dengue Out” campaign.

Just Play reaches out to children across the pacific

Just Play instructors and project managers 

© OFC/Fiji/TranVan/2014

On the coat tail of the Sport and Peace awards, which saw the Oceania Football Confederation Just Play programme recognized as the Sport Federation of the year, Just Play Programme Managers and Instructors gathered in Auckland for the unveiling of the new curriculum.  

“This new content is much more educational than in the past. The curriculum, with integrated health and social messages, will provide participants with access to information which they normally did not have”, said Rorona Kalsakau, Programme Manager from Vanuatu.  

Solar power enhances learning

Photo of Ivory Kete, during her maths class at 1:10pm © UNICEF Pacific/2014/ATahu

Ivory Kete, 14, is a grade five student at the Titinge Primary School, located on a ridge along the southern outskirt of the capital, Honiara. I met her recently when I accompanied a UNICEF photographer capturing world class photos of children and children’s issues in the pacific.

Solomon Island youth to use radio to save lives

Youths and WASH stakeholders from various organizations
© UNICEF Pacific/2014/ATahu

In early March 2014, 6 youth from the Solomon Islands were trained to produce an interactive radio show to engage with other youth around this Pacific island nation and promote awareness and adoption of life saving key family practices focusing on water, sanitation, hygiene, health, child protection and education.

Suva City Anti-Dengue Clean-Up Campaign

UNICEF Pacific, partners and volunteers, came together and took a collaborative approach to stop the increase in dengue cases by cleaning up Suva City.