Refugees learning to play the Kiwi way
They may not be used to catching, throwing and passing a ball, but children who came to New Zealand as refugees are quickly picking up those skills.
Refugee arrivals are being integrated into New Zealand culture through a core Kiwi pastime – sport.
Kelly Sports Manawatu¯ and Red Cross Palmerston North are working to help recently resettled refugee families by running an eight-week learn-to-play programme to teach children sport and exercise.
The children range in age from 4 to 10, and many of the families are from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan or Palestine. The children have picked up games such as rugby well and the shrieks of joy show how much they enjoy it.
Kelly Sports owner Zac Topping said sport was part of New Zealand’s culture and it could provide a social pathway to help the families integrate into their community and school.
Sport, or even the concept of play, is new to many of the families because of the struggle they have gone through leaving their country and resettling in New Zealand.
‘‘Half of the kids can’t speak English,’’ Topping said.
‘‘It can be quite hard for us to explain some of the games.
‘‘But you see some of them start speaking to each other in their own languages and explain to each other in their own languages.’’
Topping mixed fundamental movement classes such as kicking, throwing and balancing, with specific sport, and he said it was surprising how quickly the kids learnt.
The programme’s aim is to get the children confident enough to keep playing sport and play together, because they come from very different communities.
It is hoped they continue to play sport once the programme ends.
Even some of the adults have asked for classes.
Nanda Pradhan, from Bhutan, brings his 7-year-old son Namit to learn to play.
Pradhan brought his family to New Zealand about four years ago, having fled Bhutan years ago because of ethnic cleansing.
He spent time in a refugee camp in Nepal, where Namit was born, but wanted a better life for his children.
Pradhan was a farmer in Bhutan, but now works for a courier company.
Football was the main sport at home, so he said his son was excited to learn new skills.
‘‘It’s a lot of different because it enables them to be physically fit.
‘‘Also, it gets them away from digital screens with the tablet,’’ Pradhan said.
‘‘Also, if they become involved in the sport, we believe they can have a better-disciplined life.’’
Maher Tamin came to New Zealand from Syria two years ago with his children Maria, 9, Bicher, 6, and Judy, 4.
‘‘Every day they are saying, ‘Father, please bring me to play sport’,’’ Tamin said.