Author: Melissa Fare, Vanuatu Cricket Association
The Vanuatu Cricket Association ran a life skills and physical program bringing together women from the various communities that are part of Women’s Island Cricket Program (WICP) which is funded by the Australian Government through the Pacific Sports Partnership program.
The purpose of this program is to give women in the communities the opportunity to learn different sets of life skills and enables them to experience different types of physical activities outside of cricket. The life skills training was aimed at providing the women with skills that can benefit them to earn a living while the physical training was to keep things interesting for the women and bring out their competitive side and maintain their interest of keeping fit and healthy.
The life skills and physical training programs were then coupled with a regular health check up to ensure that the women are maintaining their overall health and are fighting NCDs.
The VCA’s WICP officer, Lucien Tulangi expressed that the program was successful, and it will contribute to improving the lives of the women in the communities.
“The program was successful because it has broadened the skillset of the participants which means that, they now have another ways to maintain and sustain their families financially and health wise.
“It was also an important program because the women were given the opportunity to learn new life skills. These skills could help them not just economically but also in other aspects of life and it encourages them to stay fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“It is the VCA’s goal to ensure that we are developing our participants at every level because we want them to have sustainable and healthy lives. We hope that in doing that, they will in turn influence other members of their communities to do the same,” said Tulangi.
Over 80 women participated in the program from Blacksands, Eratap, Imaki, Ifira, Beverly Hills and including a few staff from the VCA.
The programs included, sewing lessons, painting lessons, aqua exercises, gym sessions and Zumba which were facilitated by Wan Smol Bag. The programs were selected according to the common interests of the women who participate in the women’s island cricket program annually.
The Women’s Island Cricket Program promotes sustainable and healthy living and the VCA acknowledges the Australian Government for funding and supporting the WICP through the Pacific Sports Partnership program.
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