‘Inoke Fakapulia Vailea is one of the volunteers for the Just Play Programme in ‘Eua Island. Vailea struggles to remember what year he became involved in the programme but he is relishing his first time ever working as a volunteer. Apart from volunteering, Vailea does farming as a mean of providing for his family.
For the elderly community it is important to avoid social isolation and loneliness as it can lead to mental health issues. However, Vailea believes that keeping him working and socializing with other people through his volunteer job helps him keeping his body and mind healthy.
Vailea is a 76-year-old man who is willing to work as a volunteer for the sake of children’s future in football. ‘Eua is one of the outer island of Tonga and football is still developing on the island. Vailea is hoping to become a role model for the young children on his island. He really loves his job as a volunteer on a programme, which he believes, is good for his health and creating good relationship with people and children in his community and schools.
“Just Play helps me in different ways including financially. I believe this is the best opportunity for youth in our Island, dropping out of school from a young age, to participate in. Even though it is a volunteer job but it provides incentives,” he said.
“The thing I am hoping for children here in ‘Eua is for them to play football and get good opportunities and work their talent and that can lead them to a better future in sport. From that, they can share their experiences with other children who are not interested in football to make them love and want to be involved in the game,” he added.
However, Just Play promotes healthy lifestyles, creating equal opportunities for boys and girls, and improving children’s lives through football. Vailea found the programme very interesting; as it is something, which he thinks offers the best pathway for children on the island to have good opportunities in sport.
Vailea shared the benefit he gets from the programme and what he has learnt from the program and hopes that the number of women and girls participating in football will increase and football can develop in the Island in the future.
“To develop women’s football in ‘Eua is to bring us more good opportunities as something to support and make football famous and increase the number of women and girls to participate in football for the future,” he said.
As the Just Play programme focuses on young children, it also influences lives and benefits people working on it, such as volunteers. As well as its participants. The unique thing about Vailea is that he is an elderly but the heart of him hoping to encourage young talented children in ‘Eua to participate in football as it can be an opportunity for them in the future.
