Their efforts aim to connect cultures through football and they will share their message of friendship and equality at this weekend's two-day football event, F4F Oceania, at Tauranga City AFC's Links Ave base on October 27-28.
The tournament is grounded by F4F's nine values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, tradition and honour. A training clinic delivered by international coaches on the Saturday will be followed by a hotly contested 16-team, 5-a-side tournament on Sunday.
Both Jonty and Isla attended the 2018 Football For Friendship (F4F) programme in Moscow, Russia in June
"One of the main things that stood out to me in Russia was how lucky we are in New Zealand to have access to quality resources and equipment compared to lots of other countries," Isla says.
"This is why I am excited to be part of this project to help our Pacific neighbours."
Jonty also noticed the difference when he played in Russia.
"I saw that some players were without the basic football equipment such as boots. It is so cool that I can still take part in the F4F campaign and it has encouraged me to continue on to changing the world through football."
Tauranga City AFC chairman Brendon McHugh is excited about the club's involvement in the F4F programme.
"After sending Isla and Jonty to Russia for the global event this year we had no hesitation in supporting this event with F4F and all of our global partners. It's great to see clubs from around the region keen to participate and we're looking forward to hosting them at Links. I'm sure the kids, coaches and supporters will get a lot out of the weekend."
Pacific Island-based F4F Young Ambassadors will facilitate the delivery of the gear with help from the Tongan Football Association and kit distribution partner, Reagan Milstein Foundation, which is an organisation aimed at helping disadvantaged kids get involved in sport.
The young participants are set to receive football training and mentoring from elite coaches from Tauranga City AFC's newly-announced youth development programme, led by New Zealand U17 coach Sam Wilkinson.
"These programmes are great for player development in terms of receiving technical training and also exposes them to how football can connect cultures from around the globe. I'll also be able to take a look at some younger players up close and I'm sure these kids will be out to impress."
F4F Oceania 2018 has been led by F4F Young Ambassadors from New Zealand, Australia and Tonga and facilitated by 'football for good' organisations, Lengo Football Academy and Football Music Culture. The two social enterprises teamed up with F4F Global to take a large delegation of 12- year-olds to Moscow last June to participate in the sixth
edition of Football for Friendship International Social Programme.
Lengo Football Academy director and Football for Friendship ambassador Emanuel Saakai is proud of the ambassadors and how they have embraced the F4F message of equality through football.
"We worked hard with Shane Boyle from Football Music Culture to facilitate this event as a smaller version of what we experienced in Russia. But this has been pushed by our F4F Young Ambassadors," Saakai says.
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