FASANOC’s Athletes and Communities Engagement (ACE) community outreach program in partnership with Nayavu Health Centre and Tailevu Sub Division medical team continued its outreach activities at Naituvatuva Village in Tailevu and Nalidi Village in Ra last week.
Separated by a drain, both villages had more than 300 participants including students from Turagarua Primary School take part in health checks conducted by the Tailevu Sub Division area medical doctor, Korovou Hospital and village nurses, a dental team, physiotherapists and health officers and a wellness activity conducted by Champions from FASANOC’s ACE program.
ACE Champions conducted wellness activities that included introduction to new sports while spreading the importance of staying healthy and active.
Champions included Eugene Vollmer (athletics), Praneel Singh (billards), Viliame Vacala (basketball), Inoke Niubalavu (baseball), Kinisimere Ravai (football), Anegha Narayan (Taekwondo), Marica Togayali (volleyball) along with volunteers Albert Miller Jr (athletics) and Epeli Ratabacaca along with Jacob Raiqeu (baseball).
ACE champion (shooting) Quintyn Stephen said the welcome they received not only from the young students who participated in our sporting programs but from all members of the community was uplifting.
“All were extremely keen and interested in what we as ACE had to offer especially Taekwondo which was popular not only with the youths but also the majority of female members of the community, whom were curious and wanted to try a new sport,” he said.
“National reps from the sports of basketball, baseball, athletics and football also showcased events that the young students were excited and ready to try.”
He said to cater for members of the community whom suffer from mobility issues or old age, volleyball rep and ACE Champion Marica demonstrated a seated volleyball format for everyone.
“Overall, the outreach was a tremendous success in terms of our target of promoting stay healthy practices revolving sport and physical activity,” Stephen said.
Nalidi Village nurse Teresia Bebenitonga said the village was happy to accommodate members of ACE and the medical team.
“We have a lot of cases of physical inactivity especially amongst our elderly villagers and what we learnt from the ACE program is how we can use sports generally played by the younger generation to accommodate them,” she said.
“We can see how to utilise what we have learnt from these sports to accommodate our elderly and most importantly our young children to help them remain physically strong and active which is a way to combat non-communicable diseases.”
Bebenitonga said prevention was better than cure and having program such as the ACE present at their village would ensure that villagers are happy, active and also get that opportunity to learn something new and involved in sports.
Nalidi villager Luke Marau said they were happy to host the ACE program and the medical team from Nayavu Medical Centre.
“At times we are unable to visit the Nayavu Health Centre, so to have them come to use was a blessing especially from our disabled and elderly community,” he said.
Tailevu Sub Division Area medical officer Sefanaia Wong said they were pleased to partner with the ACE program.
“Our partnership basically came through one of the champions who informed us of what the ACE program was about,” he said.
“Getting different sports to showcase their activities also eases the burden for the health sector in our area because now villagers become more active and spend less time drinking kava and just lying around apart from farming.”
Dr Wong is in charge of four medical zones which caters for about 7000 people.
“The great turnout by the villagers especially the elder to learn about new activities and sports was a positive sign for us” he said.
“As we say in the Health Ministry, movement is life and so this is one way to get to teach people under our care to move and stay healthy.”
Dr Wong said he hoped to continue their partnership with ACE program especially since the area under their care would require more advocacy on healthy living.”
The ACE program is the flagship program that serves FASANOC’s vision to “Inspire the People of Fiji through sporting excellence” through it’s purpose which is to encourage, engage and empower athlete leaders and communities in Fiji in the advocacy of Olypmic Solidarity and the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC).
