2024 will go down as one of the busiest years for Vanuatu Volleyball, with ongoing changes, additions, enhancements, successes and lessons learned.
The Volley4Change program reached out to an increasing number of island communities in the northern provinces, as well as successfully consolidating valuable partnerships in both the government, non-government and social enterprise sectors.
For the High Performance program, the National beach volleyball team underwent some significant changes, while continuing to strive for experience and success on the international stage, competing against the worldâs top teams and completing another attempt of the latest Olympic qualification cycle. The official, much anticipated appointment of the new national coach, in the form of Vanuatu champion Miller Pata, has placed a long-term vision for development of youth through to senior ranks at the fore of strategic planning from 2025 onwards, with a busy regional and international competition calendar over the next few years.
FIVB Futures event – Bronze match VAN v BRA in Pingtan China (May 2024) (Photo credit: FIVB)
Leading the womenâs game on the court, Sherysyn Toko and Bella Lawac travelled to China, the Philippines, Australia, Thailand and New Zealand this year, as part of their ongoing efforts to see Vanuatu volleyball firmly placed on the international beach volleyball stage. It was a bag of mixed results in the end with injury and form shadows playing their part.
Early in the year, the V4C team, led by Santo-based development officer Stanley Toa, was again able to utilise the informal partnership, initiated in 2023, with locally based logistics provider HELPR-1 (through 
social enterprise organisation Respond Global) making trips to the northern provinces (TORBA, PENAMA, MALAMPA, SANMA), visiting several islands, including Loh, Hui, Tegua, Metoma, Toga and Sola (on Vanua Lava Island), and delivering V4C Awareness sessions skills training workshops.
In one instance, the VVF/V4C staff stayed for several weeks, on North Maewo delivering a Referee Refresher Training & V4C Program Awareness sessions to the Naone Community, with the support of local government officials and the local Womenâs group.
As a result of these multi-island visits, discussions were held with community leaders, particularly in the Banks Islands, about the ongoing delivery of the V4C program in the region – a big tick for the program!
Add to this Stanleyâs trip to Malekula, in Malampa Province, for a week in June, where he introduced V4C Program Awareness sessions to health workers and local church groups, as well as visiting local schools delivering volleyball skills sessions as part of the VVF âAfter Schools Programâ.
Once back at base in Luganville, the V4C program continued its work consolidating stakeholder partnerships with local, municipal and provincial government departments, with the South Santo area becoming a focus for the delivery of skills training sessions to schools and local community members, as well as the fundamentals of the V4C gender focused program.
Supporting the local workforce has also become a feature of the work V4C does, with weekly sessions titled âWork4Lifeâ involving workers from organisations including NGOs, CSOs, government departments and councils, including the Vanuatu Red Cross, World Vision Vanuatu, VSPD (Van Society People with Disability) & VDPAA (Van Disability Promotion & Advocacy Agency) and the SANMA Provincial Council, promoting the benefit of regular physical activity through sport, for everyone.
While life up north was busy for the V4C program, Port Vila was a hive of activity as well. The V4C Disability Inclusion program continued to deliver weekly sessions at VSPD, which has become a key partner for Volley4Change.
Sessions included discussions on leadership, teamwork, communication (including the use of sign language), as well as practical elements around the skills of Sitting Volleyball and of course, actual game time.
Stivano Banga (L) and Stanley Toa (R) officiating at the ParaVolley Asia Oceania Club Cup Championships in China
Capacity building for staff was again also a focus for VVF, with national coach Miller Pata attending an ONOC Emerging Female Leaders workshop in New Zealand, while senior members of the V4C team also took major steps in building their capacity, attending workshops and being invited to officiate at World Para Volley and Asia Oceania paravolley competitions as part of adding to their WPV qualifications.
IWD 2024 event (Port Vila) in partnership with VAPJP (PC: VVF)
Events are also a big part of what VVF does each year, regularly participating in nominated day events for the community, such as celebrating Francophonie Day with different schools in Port Vila; Olympic Day, International Day of People with Disability and delivering the annual International Womenâs Day (IWD) events, in partnership with Vanuatu Police, in both Port Vila and on Santo.
VVF supported regional community events as well, with staff travelling to Penama Province to support the Penama Vodafone Mixed Volleyball Tournament, where teams participated from Ambae and Maewo Islands, further promoting volleyball and the benefits of sport to local island communities in the provinces.
None of what VVF does as a not-for-profit organisation could be done without the ongoing and unwavering support of major sponsors, partners and stakeholders and so we specifically acknowledge a couple of key members of that group in Titan FX Vanuatu and VSPD, for their support of our National representative team and its endeavours, our After School Program in looking at developing youth into the future and our Volley4Change program and it inclusive reach.
While the year has ended on a tragic note for Vanuatu, particularly the community in and around Port Vila and Efate, the overwhelming evidence of community strength has come in the response, and underlines the Vanuatu peoplesâ spirit and bond as one community.
