--- title: "John Kessel and Vanuatu Volleyball Federation run a train-the-trainer programme in Vanuatu; record number of smiles per day" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-13T12:09:00Z" source: "https://www.fivb.com/es/from-bamboo-to-smiles-per-hour-as-volleyball-knowledge-takes-root-in-vanuatu/" topics: - name: "volleyball" identifier: "medtop:20001089" - name: "women" identifier: "medtop:20001327" - name: "education" identifier: "medtop:05000000" - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Vanuatu" - "Venezuela" - "Colombia" --- John Kessel and Vanuatu Volleyball Federation run a train-the-trainer programme in Vanuatu; record number of smiles per day From bamboo to ‘Smiles Per Hour’ as volleyball knowledge takes root in Vanuatu – FIVB In Vanuatu, volleyball knowledge is travelling from community to community. In the months after a FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Knowledge Transfer Programme reached Bay Barrier and Pangi, local participants are already putting what they learned into practice. Competitions are being organised. Neighbouring communities are getting involved. New skills are being passed on. The three-week programme, held from 14 March to 4 April, saw legendary volleyball development expert John Kessel work alongside the Vanuatu Volleyball Federation (VVF) to strengthen coaching capacity across volleyball, beach volleyball and sitting volleyball. Through a train-the-trainer approach, sessions combined classroom learning with practical activities. Participants also explored how volleyball can adapt to different community settings, including creating courts on sand and grass and using locally available materials such as bamboo. “John Kessel’s trip to Pentecost Island had a big impact on two communities,” commented VFF Senior Volley4Change Development Officer Stanley Toa. “His simple philosophy – ‘smile always while coaching’ – stayed with all of us. He raised our volleyball style to the next level, but more than that, he changed our mindset: to be resourceful and creative with the local materials and resources we already have.” “But the biggest impact wasn’t just on the court – it was in our everyday lives. Each of us who took part came home with life skills that have stayed with us long after John left.” Inclusion was another key part of the programme. Sessions introduced sitting volleyball and other forms of the game, building on VVF’s cooperation with the Vanuatu Society for People with Disability. The Federation is now looking to expand para volleyball opportunities in the years ahead. “I measure the impact of wide projects like this by the number of «Smiles Per Hour»,” said John Kessel. “The 3 weeks in Vanuatu as the participants at all venues discovered new ways of growing our game, combined with the joy of play and the extended family culture of the South Pacific meant a record number of smiles each day.” The programme also connected with Volley4Change, a certified FIVB Volleyball Foundation project using volleyball to advance gender empowerment, disability inclusion, health, leadership and communication within communities. The impact of the programme has already extended beyond the three-week visit. Communities on Pentecost have begun staging their own volleyball activities and sharing newly acquired knowledge further afield. It is exactly the kind of legacy the programme was designed to create. VVF is now looking ahead, with plans to develop its own train-the-trainer course, expand para volleyball to more islands and strengthen its pipeline of coaches and referees. The aim is to keep that knowledge growing across Vanuatu From bamboo to ‘Smiles Per Hour’ as volleyball knowledge takes root in Vanuatu Los equipos de «Empowerment» de voleibol aspiran al título masculino en el Campeonato de Voleibol de Playa de la CEV El Empowered Colombia celebra el bronce en la Copa Sudamericana 26 parejas femeninas de voleibol de «Empowerment» compiten por una plaza para los Juegos de Los Ángeles 2028 en el Campeonato de Voleibol de Playa de la CEV Se disputan 28 plazas para los Juegos de Los Ángeles con el inicio de los Campeonatos Continentales de Voleibol de Playa La tierra del voleibol: Asia traza un futuro prometedor en la 26.ª Asamblea General de la AVC celebrada en Bangkok Esra Gümüş Kırıcı, nombrada embajadora de «Believe in Sport» para el Dakar 2026 Ehlers & Wust y Brunner & Huberli se alzan con el oro en la categoría Elite de Hamburgo con «Empowerment» Los beneficiarios del programa de empoderamiento de Colombia y Venezuela consiguen medallas en la primera prueba del Circuito Sudamericano Socios globales de la FIVB Proveedores oficiales de la FIVB