Women look outside square

A young woman from Aitutaki hopes to develop a sports project for girls aged 13-17 years to keep them in school and reduce the prevalence of teen-pregnancy on her island.

Maria Tare is taking part in this week’s Women in Sport national management and leadership seminar at the Sinai Hall along with other women keen to start sports-based projects in their communities.

Tare believes communities in Aitutaki are becoming far too accepting of underage girls leaving home to live with teen boyfriends – some going on to fall pregnant and leave school.

She wants to help more female youth stay in school and look towards a better future by starting a project to target them.

Tare had the help of Nukutere College students and others at the seminar to form some ideas about the possible project.

Yesterday the second day of the seminar dug deeper into several proposed projects including a beautification project for Mangaia leading up to next year’s Manea Games.

Oceania Women in Sport chair Helene Brownlee has been taking the group through the steps of creating successful projects using local and regional examples.