One of the most secluded villages in Samoa hosted the 70th birthday of UNICEF.
A sub-village of Fagaloa called Lona, is commonly labeled by its own community people as a prison to represent how secluded their village is from the closest and most developed part of the country.
Despitethe challenges, it did not stop UNICEF and Football Federation Samoa in its Just Play department, from reaching out to its community to celebrate the growth of UNICEF and its many outreach programs in the Samoa and the Pacific as a whole.
“It’s always been about the children. What we do is for them, and as we have witnessed today, Fagaloa has so many young children and were not even sure if they’ve ever had anything like this come here before,” said UNICEF project coordinator in Samoa, Tupepepa Esera-Aumua.
“Celebrating the 70th birthday of UNICEF should be about the children and when the Just Play initiative said were doing it at Lona, Fagaloa, we straight away knew that was a great idea,” she added.
UNICEF is an organization under the United Nations, which promotes and protects the rights of children all over the world. UNICEF Pacific works in more than 190 countries with a commitment to ensuring the better future of its children.
The partnership with the Oceania Football Confederation or OFC has been critical in its push for the last three years in this regards.
In 2013, the OFC and UNICEF signed an agreement to work in partnership in pushing a program called Just Play. Under Just Play program, children are encouraged to stay active and healthy and are also taught about their rights.
“Just play continues to work hard throughout its programs in the Islands, not only in Upolu but also in Savaii.
“Now that we are in another very secluded area, it’s such a great event to have children take part in something this special,” said Just Play Project Coordinator for Football Federation Samoa, Lynnetta Laumea-Faaiuaso.
The Just Play initiative encourages healthy living and organizes special segment by the Ministry of Women, community and Social Development, where the rights of children are being taught and practiced by the children themselves.
