Fairplay Coronavirus Update 14: Operations to Restart

It has been almost four months since the lockdown in Metro Manila began last March 15. Many things have been learned and new systems are starting to be put in place. As we adapt to the new normal, we at Fairplay continue with our mission to level the playing field.

When the Metro Manila lockdown started, it became evident our families in Payatas would be greatly affected. Most belong to the informal sector and work on a daily wage. Without work, they are not able to put food on the table, their kids go hungry, and frustrations grow quickly.

In our first wave of relief operations, we were able to provide food packs to 60 of the most vulnerable families in Payatas. By early May, the number rose to 104. Around 500 individuals had access to healthy and nutritious food.

Operations to Restart

After nearly four months we now have the green light to gradually begin operations. New guidelines for the latest level of the lockdown mean gatherings of more than 10 people are not allowed. They also mean sports like football are not yet allowed.

With this in mind, we have grouped our scholars in batches of 7 or 8, per school year, and will host tutorials and sport sessions, which will include badminton and table tennis for now. Each group of students, creatively named group 1, group 2, group 3, etc. has a team leader in one of the older Fairplay scholars who will make sure each child has a mask and follows the safety guidelines before and after entering Fairplay’s Youth Center and Sports Center.

We will update you more about this next week where you will be able to see it in action.

Photo taken in a tutorial pre-lockdown. Masks, face shields, and other precautions will be taken once tutorials start again.

A Throwback: The First Season of Fairplay TV

Last year, we launched the first season of Fairplay TV: A Game of Two Halves where we followed the Payatas Football Club and the personal journey of the girls on and off the pitch. You can watch the episodes again here.

In the first episode, we get to know where our Women’s Team are coming from and some of the stigma they have to live with because of where they are from. See how the girls are fighting to change the image of their hometown and preparing to compete in the Philam 7s Football League 2019 against some of the best women’s teams in the country.