Volunteer programme leaves a lasting legacy for young people in PNG - FIFA U-20 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
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| FIFA.com |
With a focus on increasing employability and creating female role models, the volunteer programme as part of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea has engaged over 1,000 volunteers to support the delivery of events and activities.
In an effort to increase employability among young people in Papua New Guinea, the FIFA Local Organising Committee in partnership with the Urban Youth Employment Project (UYEP) - an initiative from the NCD governor funded by the World Bank, the Australian Government, the Oceania Football Confederation, the US Embassy and UNICEF - has partnered to develop a platform where young people were given the opportunity to gain first-hand skills and experience.
In Papua New Guinea, young people make up almost half of the urban poor population. Within the region, the World Bank has estimated that 70-80 per cent of young people are unemployed, with studies indicating that urban youth are adversely affected by high levels of poverty. Studies also show that young people engage in risky activities such as crime, drugs, alcohol and violence as a result of inequalities.
As part of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup legacy, young people from 20 settlements in Port Moresby were engaged in a three-month training and work experience programme, which has given them hands-on work experience, exposure to a workplace setting and life skills training in health and hygiene, financial management and communication.
As part of the training, volunteers engaged in a workshop on ending violence. The training focused on increasing awareness of issues of violence and abuse among women, girls, boys and men in the region and promoting a violence free environment both at home and in the community. The training was part of a broader campaign being delivered alongside the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with the aim of developing respect, understanding and tolerance among girls and boys, women and men and the community as a whole, with the overall goal of reducing risk factors associated with gender-based violence in the Pacific.
Fifty of the 1,000 volunteers will be selected following the tournament to be #ENDviolence ambassadors in their communities. They will receive further training and support a broad-based community awareness campaign in the 20 shanty towns of Port Moresby in the months following the competition.