Futbol shoes & triumphs, size: Women’s Large

I am happy to report that the very first Women’s adult futbol team I worked with during my first 6 months of arriving in Vanuatu has outrun my expectations. The Santo rural team of Port Olry village, has had 2 major winnings, the first was when we first started & I was coaching them, back in August 2008, I took this team of women ages 16-24, some married, some still in high school, some with kids, some working, etc. We went to the Women’s National Futbol Tournament held on Malekula Island in which 7 other teams representing the Provinces and the urban areas came to compete. Some of the teams had been playing rigorously and some, such as the urban teams, had been competing for years even on an international level. The tournament was part of the FIFA effort to increase women’s play in the sport, all women, all ages, and all areas. They came with borrowed uniforms, no shoes, 1 ball, and motivation to prove women are capable no matter where they are from. With proper training, support, nutrition, and funding; these women were able to travel & compete in a sport and make a change in Vanuatu. As a team, they showed much interest and dedication. We ended up taking 3rd place out of an 8 team pool. I was so proud and surprised to have such an experience at such an early time in my service.

Port Olry Team representing SANMA Province, 2008.

Fast forward to January 2010- the team I worked with in Santo took second place at the Vanuatu National games held this past Christmas. I was unable to attend the matches yet I heard they all had shoes, and some of the same girls I had coached in 2008 were active players on the team. I couldn’t be more proud that they stuck with it, that they were motivated and found a way to fund their passion for the game. These women, like many throughout the world, have the skills and the desire to be Olympic athletes. I am grateful and idyllic to have been a part of this women’s athletic movement.

Email Hope to Semma

Recently, my best friend, a 21 year old Ni-Vanuatu girl, Semma, had just returned from a vacation trip to Australia in which she stayed with some Australian church friends of Paama Island for 2 months. She is a special girl and was my prodigy since I arrived on Paama Island. She was our team captain for the women’s futbol team that attended the tournament on Ambrym Island in September 2009 (in which we took 1st place). I tutored her in her University distance courses at USP, she was a Sunday school teacher, and leader of our girls youth nights at my house. All in all, she is an exceptional and gifted Ni-Vanuatu woman.

One of my goals before leaving Vanuatu was to help her travel to another country; and with our small trip to the island of Ambrym, I believe that trip solidified her acceptance to go to Australia & trust the “white” people to look after her. Last week when she returned to Vanuatu, I helped her to set up an email account and work on her new laptop! She has surpassed my expectations for her future extremely and her unique personality could not be over-looked by others either. She is now attending the Christian College in Vanuatu in hopes to do missionary work in other countries before returning for good to her home island. We keep in touch weekly and I hope one day to see her again, shining even brighter than when I left her.

One of the best things about being a Peace Corps volunteer is never knowing whether the seed you plant will grow or remain under ground. But at any glimpse of its growth you say to yourself, “this is why I came here.”