The closing ceremony of the Australian Government-funded Nabanga Sport for Development Program (Nabanga) was held in Aniwa last week. A delegation from the Australian High Commission and the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports joined mamas, papas and pikininis to celebrate the achievements of the program, which aimed to improve health outcomes by raising awareness about NCDs and promoting social inclusion, with a specific focus on women and people living with disabilities. In Aniwa alone, more than 60 mamas, papas, pikininis and people living with disabilities now gather each week to participate in organised sporting programs. The aid post in Aniwa has also reported a substantial drop in obesity and smoking rates. Thank you to the Department of Youth and Sport, Save the Children and Sanma Frangapani for assisting the implementation of Nabanga in Vanuatu since 2007. The Australian Government will continue to support the development of sport in Vanuatu, having committed over 127 million vatu (2013-17) to netball, football, volleyball, cricket, basketball and table tennis under the Australian Sports Outreach Program’s (ASOP) Pacific Sports Partnerships (PSP). Australian Volunteers for International Development also work with local counterparts in a range of national sporting organisations in Vanuatu and across the Pacific.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 01:38:12 +0000