The importance of handwashing was promoted across the western division last week, with a range of awareness campaigns and festivals held as part of celebrations around Global Handwashing Day.
Since the October 15 date marking the event, the Fiji Football Association Just Play team held festivals with the theme of encouraging good hand sanitation.
The efforts reinforce Fiji FA’s commitment to ensuring education around the importance of good hygiene is integrated throughout football and that healthy behaviours are encouraged at all levels of participation.
The Fiji FA Just Play programme ran festivals in the western division in ten villagers, delivering key messages around sanitation and encouraging children to take that information back home with them.
Over 1000 children from the western division attended a festival that saw small-sided games organised alongside handwashing activities.
Fiji FA Just Play coordinator Filomena Liku thanked the partners who helped make the important work possible.
“I believe that if we are to see a change in this area then we need to make it a habit, which is a message delivered in the festivals,” Liku said.
“We appreciate the support from the New Zealand Government, Australian Government, the UEFA Foundation for Children and the Oceania Football Confederation.
“That ongoing support allows us to reach out to children in Fiji and enhance their lives.”
The importance of regular and correct handwashing with soap has been further reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, given the practice can reduce the likelihood of infection by 36.3 percent.
Last year the Just Play programme in Fiji delivered a health and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) tour which reached over 5,000 children.
