Hook in4 Health (Vanuatu)

Hook in4 Health Vanuatu is a strong, collaborative sport for development partnership that removes barriers to PLAY for women, girls and people with a disability, promoting enjoyment and increased participation, and is inclusive of men and boys. 

PLAY opportunities and participation pathways include hockey playing, officiating, coaching, managing and administration.

Sustainable partnerships optimise collective expertise and resources while strengthening relationships between Pacific nations and Australia.

Program partners include: Vanuatu Hockey Federation; Oceania Hockey Federation; Wan Smolbag; Cairns Hockey Association; Family Planning Australia (and local service partners); Hockey Australia and Flinders University. 

Strengthened relationships between Vanuatu Hockey Federation, the hockey community, schools and local health partners, combined with program partners’ commitment to training of local trainers, encourages in-country capability building, delivery, leadership and longer-term sustainability.

The Hook in4 Health program aims to empower women, girls and people with disability, as well as men and boys, and their local communities, to live well, learn well and lead well by removing barriers to participation in sport and physical activity and enabling health, learning skills, wellbeing and leadership opportunities in accessible, safe and inclusive ways.  

Hook in4 Health offers: weekly sessions in targeted schools; weekly and holiday sessions in the community focusing on Port Vila initially before expanding; and special events linked to significant international and national days that promote increased physical activity, health, gender equity, rights and inclusion. 

Live well, learn well, lead well learning journals will be used as a key part of the Hook in4 Health program. Weekly learning journals will be used to develop important education-related skills associated with goal setting, personal reflection and self-awareness, acquiring new skills, safely making mistakes, knowledge development, decision-making, empowerment and leadership. Learning journals have nutrition information that compliments Wan Smolbag’s nutrition, education and health services, including food hygiene certificate courses.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) training of trainers and participant workshops for girls, women and people of all abilities, as well as men and boys, will be conducted as a part of the program and at targeted events.

Positive ways of working and a culture of safety, equity and inclusion will be promoted by hockey coaches, officials and managers. They will participate in train-the-trainer sessions to better understand hockey skills, safety, healthy relationships, gender equity and inclusive practices, and they will apply those to session and policy planning and delivery.

Hook in4 Health partners are proud to promote opportunities for women and girls and people with a disability, as well as men and boys, to live well, learn well and lead well by:

• Increasing engagement in physical activity in safe, respectful, social environments
• Increasing knowledge about team contribution, health, wellbeing, self-worth, nutrition and SRHR
• Promoting learning skills and opportunities that better support healthy decision-making and inclusive leadership
• Improving wellbeing and self-worth, while participating in tailored comprehensive health, sexuality education and nutrition initiatives and activities.