My name is Manulaaine Tu’alau. I am 40 years old and I live at Veitongo, Tongatapu. I grew up in a family with eight siblings and I am the fifth child. I work as an Instructor and Development Officer for the Just Play Program under Tonga Football Association. It has now been three years of working.
I started working as a volunteer for the Just Play Programme in 2016 and got an opportunity to become a coach for the Women’s U-17 Futsal in 2017. From there, I received many opportunities in football such as being involved in a training course, which is the Training of Trainer.
In 2021, I had an employment opportunity offered by the Just Play Program Manager, Palu ‘Uhatahi Tu’amoheloa to an open position which is the Development Officer and that is when I become a full time staff member for the program.
“Receiving such as opportunity is a blessing for me especially being able to work for the program. Since I had this opportunity, I started to change my habits, quitting smoking and reducing the amount of alcohol, I drink.
“This program taught me to become a role model to the children I work with by helping them develop good decision making and encouraging them to make a change in their lives. I chose the word “HOPE” to describe this program because it taught me that there is always the hope that we can make a change some day,” Manu shared.
Not only did I have the chance to work but also I was named as the Development Officer for the Futsal which led me to become the first ever futsal coach for both the men’s and women’s national teams.
“This was a golden opportunity for me as the futsal coach for women’s team. It took me to a place where I never imagined I would be. The best highlight of my coaching is that we had the chance to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina with the Women’s U-17 team to participate in a Youth Olympic Games,”
“I had the way of thinking that boys were only the best for football but after my journey in coaching women’s teams, I could admit that I was wrong. From that experience, I can tell the difference that girls are just more eager to learn as boys are”.
Looking back at the blessings I had since I started working for the Just Play Program makes me feel proud of what I am doing. I am grateful for this sport for development program, as this exists in these generations where they get to use sport as a tool to improve children’s lives by relating sport messages to life. Not only that they learn the significance of gender equality and knowing that girls can play sports.
Building an equal opportunity in sports can motivate women and girls to expose their potential in sport. Boys might think that girls are meant for home chores only and not sport but the Just Play programme wants to change their mind-set, showing that each and every one has the right to play sports and have equal opportunities.
