Community Rugby Champions Project
Last month saw the launch of our Links of Hope PNG Community Rugby Champions Project, funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. The project focused on 'Promoting Health and Fitness and tackling GBV in Papua New Guinea'.
Links of Hope, together with our partner organisations, were able to use sport to educate, engage and empower adolescents on topics of :
- Healthy living - diet, exercise and wellbeing
- Sexual health and safe sex
- Peer support and support networks
- Gender Based Violence
Our Rugby Clinics ran with adolescents from our sponsorship program in both Moresby and Hagen in attendance. We are so grateful for all who contributed to making our Community Rugby Champions Project a success - Canada Down Under and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Port Moresby Fiss-Potts Rugby Club Inc., Get Into Rugby - GIR & Pathways Papua New Guinea, Coca-Cola Amatil PNG, Anglicare, IGAT Hope, Kimininga Barracks and the Bava, Park Stadium in Port Moresby.
Community Rugby Champions in Mount Hagen went the extra mile to ensure smooth running of the week-long rugby clinic, by accomodating 30 Links of Hope children from remote communities in a camp-based setting at Mount Rondon. Pastor James and Belinda (both pictured here in action on the Rugby field) and our Hagen team admirably cared for, fed, transported and taught the children. A highlight was the tremendous camaraderie and community spirit amongst our children and lifelong friendships made. This is borne out in some of the beautiful testimonies from our children:-
F. ‘I think peer support was important for me. I would like for everyone to know about peer support. The highlight for my week was all playing rugby union.' C. 'I think Stigma and Discrimination was important and everyone should be careful how they treat or talk to another person. The highlight of my week was the food & rugby union.' W. 'I liked the session on ‘ART & Adherence. I think its very important. My highlight for the week was playing rugby union.' C. 'Important topic for me was HIV/AIDS. I think everyone should know the difference between HIV & AIDS. My highlight was playing rugby union.' P. 'I liked the lesson on Respect and Adherence to ART. The highlight for my week was playing rugby.'
S. 'I liked the lesson on Discipline and Adherence to Art. My highlight was rugby. I enjoyed this week.' D. 'I liked the HIV/AIDS sessions and Adherence to ART. I think that was very important for all of us to know. My highlight was spending time with my friends and playing rugby.' F. 'I liked the session on Stigma and Discrimination. Everyone should know so they do not hurt other people. The highlight of my week was playing rugby.' B. 'I think Adherence to ART was very important for us to know. My highlight was rugby.' J. 'I like the lesson on peer support and finding your friends. I like Ps James story on the eagle and the chicken. I want to make eagle friends. My highlight was playing rugby.' B. 'Most important thing I learned and I think its important for all guardians to know is Stigma & Discrimination. The highlight of my week was to be together with all my brothers and sisters and spending time with them.' J. 'I liked Stigma and Discrimination and I think its important for more people to know about this so they do not discriminate against one another. Highlight of my week was to be together with everyone and play together.' T. 'The important lesson for me this week is Adherence to ART and why its important for us. My highlight was rugby. I love playing.' M. 'Most important lesson I learned this week was about Gender Based Violence. I want everyone to know about GBV. Its not good and men and women are created equal. My highlight this week is spending time with my friends and playing rugby.' J. 'I think its important for everyone to know more about HIV/AIDS. The highlight of my week was playing rugby union.'
Staff Spotlight
Laura Sequeira
Business Development Manager
Links of Hope are delighted to welcome Laura Sequeira to our team as our Business Development Manager. Laura has a Bachelor's Degree in Ancient History and a passion for the betterment of society through implementing sustainable community solutions.
She has a background in commercial aviation, has travelled to over 90 countries and immersed herself in diverse cultures, customs and traditions, teaching and volunteering in many countries around the world.
Her work with us will focus on developing key partnerships, business expansion and project management.
In Memoriam
Our Links of Hope community grieve the loss of and pay our respects to Camilo Fadu - father of our respite community and a key member of our pastoral care team who passed away in September. Camilo has worked with Links of Hope for the past 8 years and has been a huge ambassador for health education, particularly in rural communities. He was passionate about his work and caring for our young people and has fostered and been a father figure for many of our Links of Hope children. He will be sadly missed and we pass our prayers and condolences to his wife and family.
Thank You!
Links of Hope would like to say a huge thank you to Barlow Industries for their donation of two patrol boxes. The storage containers will be used to store monthly care packages provided to children when they visit the centre, and other essentials we use to facilitate our programs. They will allow us to securely store essential medications and some care package supplies for our children coming into clinic from our more remote locations outside Port Moresby and in Central Province.
We would also like to thank Jacob from Innovative Agro Industry for donating Milk to us this week, and committing to support us with future donations and event support - we greatly appreciate it !
Colgate Palmolive have jumped on board to support us with some donations of personal hygiene care packs to supplement our care packages and for reward incentives to our children who are fully complaint with their medication adherence.
Covid Response
Following our covid-safe protocols, the team of dedicated Links of Hope staff in Port Moresby continue to distribute monthly care packages to all children on our Child Sponsorship Program, ensuring we play our part in preventing community transmission.