With just a little soft skin hanging where her right hand would be, and a sock always covering her foot, under normal circumstances the three-year-old could only dream of playing football alongside her peers.
But when Port Vila Stadium played host to a Just Play Festival last Saturday, young Meriam was one of the happiest kids on the planet as she ran alongside her friends kicking the ball.
Vanuatu Just Play Project Manager Rorona Kalsakau says it is so encouraging for herself and the Just Play volunteers when they see the joy a young child like Meriam can get from the programme.
“I felt sorry for Meriam and all her friends but it’s good to see them happy and that’s why the Just Play Programme is here today, to give all these special children the right to education and to play,” Kalsakau says.
Saturday’s festival had a strong focus on disability and social inclusion, as well as child protection, and Kalsakau encouraged parents to take extra care of their children.
One of the questions Kalsakau and her staff of volunteers asked parents was whether their child had recently been diagnosed with a learning disability, and how they responded to that news.
“Did you immediately begin to worry about how he or she will cope with life or school? It’s only natural to want the best for your child but academic success, while important, isn’t the end goal.
“What you really want for your child is a happy and fulfilling life and with encouragement and the right support, your child can build a strong sense of self-confidence and a solid foundation for lifeling success,” Kalsakau told parents.
“All children, like little Meriam, need love, encouragement and support and for kids with learning disabilities such positive reinforcement can help ensure that they emerge with a strong sense of self-worth, confidence and the determination to keep going even when things are tough.
“In searching for ways to help children with learning disabilities, remember that you are looking for ways to help them help themselves. Your job as a parent is not to ‘cure’ the disability, but to give your child the social and emotional tools he or she needs to work through challenges.”
Kalsakau says in the long run, facing and overcoming a challenge can help children grow stronger and more resilient – something she believes is already evident in Meriam.
“Always remember that the way you behave and respond to a challenge has a big impact on your child. A good attitude won’t solve the problems associated with a learning disability, but it can give hope and confidence that things can improve or that he or she will eventually succeed,” Kalsakau concludes.
The Just Play Programme is just one place where acceptance, attitude and confidence-building can start being applied.
For Meriam Jack, the results are out.
“Mi laekem Just Play!” (I love Just Play).
The Just Play Programme has been designed and developed by the OFC Social Responsibility department, in partnership with the Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission, AusAID, Football Federation Australia, UEFA and UNICEF Pacific. For more information please visit: www.justplayofc.org
Story courtesy of www.vanuafoot.vu
To see more pictures of Meriam Jack participating at the Just Play Festival in Vanuatu visit the Vanuafoot Facebook page here

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