The Village Games wrapped up its final event of 2024 at Otahuhu Intermediate and the Annual CM (Counties Manukau) Games at Bruce Pulman Park to teach rangatahi traditional Pacific games to encourage cultural connection and healthy active learning.
Systems Innovator for Movement and Sport in the HFSA programme, Narita Vaivai says it was an awesome way to wrap up the year by teaching our kids & youth how to connect with and love our traditional Pacific ways while getting them active; something they can hopefully carry on in the new year.
“During this time of the year as our kids and teachers wrap up for the holiday period, it’s a good time to remind people how important it is to stay active, and what better way to do that by re-introducing Pacific concepts of active movement that have worked for years.”
The Village Games movement was established by Healthy Families South Auckland in 2020 with community champions and activators sharing their cultural expertise on traditional games from various Pacific Islands.
The initiative has continued to grow traction over the years with many South Auckland teachers and students participating to learn the benefits of movement and sport through a culturally relevant lense.
Partnering with Do Good Feel Good (DGFG), The Cause Collective (TCC) initiative, to deliver Village Games at Otahuhu Intermediate, Rewamatane Pearson of DGFG says “this event is very important, because our culture is slowly fading away due to the shifts and changes of this world, so to be able to introduce these games to the younger generations helps the knowledge of our cultures to continue.”
DJ Tavairangi of DGFG says physicality and productivity is a universal language and a great way to bond while keeping us productive.
“Our ancestors were so creative with little to no resources in our home islands but even with these limitations, they still managed to have fun, bond and stay active, compared to our current environment that is technology driven” says DJ.
As part of the HFSA initiative being delivered through TCC, the Movement and Sport initiative aims to create environments that promote movement and active lifestyles and reduce sedentary behaviour, especially in our homes, schools and public spaces.
Narita says, “We know there are significant health risks associated with low physical activity and Village Games is our way to make being fit and active compelling enough to want to do. The health stats of our people in South Auckland show somber numbers of Pacific people suffering from preventable chronic diseases that, if we were being active, may have been reduced.”
“However, we know that systems built around our communities make it hard to really want to learn and continue to be physically healthy. Village Games help break through those systemic barriers by bringing them to the doorsteps of our communities and establishments that have the power to make meaningful change, schools.”
More dates for HFSA Village Games will be determined in the new year. For more information on how to connect in with the team on this programme, please contact Narita Vaivai – [email protected].
