
The volunteers are the unsung heroes whose work is vital in ensuring that any tournament unfolds without a hitch. In recognition of their tireless efforts in a wide variety of roles, they enjoyed their own moment in the spotlight at Monday evening’s Volunteers Celebration.
After the celebration, FIFA.com talked to some of the volunteers and learned that the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Papua New Guinea 2016 is genuinely playing a pivotal role in helping people rebuild their lives.
“This experience has been amazing", said 21-year-old Yori Auma, a volunteer working in accreditation. "I learned so many things in this tournament. Before this started, I was at home, doing nothing special and looking for a job. This experience gave me some confidence for later. Now I want to go to college and become a doctor.”
A key focus for the volunteer programme and the tournament has been the #ENDviolence campaign. Violence towards women and girls in the region is a widespread problem. But the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup has offered a perfect platform to transform attitudes and fifty volunteers will be selected following the tournament to be #ENDviolence ambassadors in their communities. They will receive further training and will be able to support a broad-based community awareness campaign in 20 shanty towns across Port Moresby.
The following links provide more information on the volunteer programme (direct link) and on its impact (direct link).
Pictures of the volunteer celebration can be found on FIFA.com (direct link) and on the Facebook page of the FIFA Women's World Cup (direct link).