NEWSROOM: 09 September - 15 September 2007

Rugby World Cup Update: Montpellier, France
15 September 2007 - Source: Samoa Rugby Football Union

Sailosi Tagicakibau who replaces Anetelea Tuilagi (injured wrist) has joined the team in France.

Sailosi Tagicakibau:
• DOB: 14/11/1982,
• Samoa Caps 11, Pacific Islanders 1, RWC 2003/2007
• School Wesley College NZ,
• Height 193cm,
• Weight 100Kg,
• Current Club: London Irish

Brian Lima was cleared yesterday by a neurological specialist after taking a second AMR Scan. He's being rested for the Tonga game and okay for selection process for the England game. Brian Lima is the most sought player by the media.

Daniel Leo is cleared for selection this week.

Henry Tuilagi is resting for two weeks because of bruised ribs.

The team for Tonga will be announced tomorrow at 12 noon (French time). Coaching staff have obtained a DVD of the Tonga/USA game and are confident of our chances.
 

Ministry of Police gives thanks to police volunteers
14 September 2007 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

The South Pacific Games is now over, and it’s a pleasure for the Ministry of Police to give thanks to those who offered their time as volunteers and acted as police officers during the South Pacific Games, looking after facilities for the games and also taking care of the 33 visiting South Pacific nations.

Minister of Police, Hon. Toleafoa Apulu Faafisi delivered the keynote address of the day, and he commented that "nothing would have possible without the help of the volunteers.” He also added that the protection of our country is in our hands.

Toleafoa gave thanks to all of the Volunteers who offered their time to give a hand, not only acting as police officers, but also for all the other roles they played.

The Ministry of Police also invited the volunteers to help them again in two months time, for the World Weight Lifting Competition that will be held here in Samoa in November.
 

15th annual Clean Up the World Weekend
13 September 2007 - Source: United Nation’s Environment Programme

Community-based action on climate change involving an estimated 35 million people across the planet in 2007 will culminate in the Clean Up the World Weekend, 14-16 September.

More than 650 non-government organisations, community groups, local councils and other agencies in 115 countries are currently working on projects in 2007 to improve the health of the environment.

The focus of many community activities around the world has been on limiting the impacts of climate change though activities such as waste reduction and recycling, water and energy conservation, and revegetation.

During Clean Up the World Weekend, organisations will engage volunteers to take part in activities designed to clean up, fix up and conserve their local environment.

The Australian founder and chairman of Clean Up the World, Ian Kiernan said communities in many countries are demonstrating that simple actions can make a real and lasting difference.

“Millions of people simply conserving water, and recycling waste add up to a huge environmental benefit for the planet.”

“Our aim is to encourage individuals to take responsibility for the environment through a range of affordable actions. What is inspiring is the variety of activities that participating organisations have initiated in their countries in response to this challenge.”

Among those undertaking activities as part of the weekend, Our Earth Foundation in Poland and the Tonga Solid Waste Management Project in the Pacific are conducting nationwide clean ups and Programa TV Na Praia in Brazil is coordinating a day of activities to launch their anti-litter campaign.

The Clean Up the World campaign is in its 15th year and has the support of the United Nation’s Environment Programme (UNEP). The 2007 theme ‘Our Climate, Our Actions, Our Future’ channels community action towards addressing the causes of climate change.

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP praised the efforts of organisations across the world involved in Clean Up the World campaign.

“Climate change and other environmental challenges impact every corner and community on the planet. Our generation is witnessing the early stirrings of extreme weather events, melting ice and other climatic manifestations, and it is truly impressive to see so many communities responding to the challenge with grassroots enthusiasm and commitment. In this context, Clean Up the World is playing a leadership role by providing practical action and this is exactly how the world will start making a difference”, he said.

Mr. Steiner added, “This week, we are celebrating not only the 15th anniversary of Clean of the World, but we are also celebrating the Montreal Protocol which was ratified 20 years ago with the aim to eliminate the production and consumption of ozone-depleting chemicals. These two environmental endeavours show that the departure point for success must be a joint effort with participation from all realms of society; governments, private sector and civil society.”
 

Prime Minister targets Millennium Development Goals
12 September 2007 - Source: United Nations Resident Coordinator

In another inspirational move during what has been a memorable South Pacific Games 2007, the Prime Minister of Samoa while competing for the Archery Gold/Silver Medal on Friday 31 August happily took time to promote the Millennium Development Goals.

The Prime Minister is one of 189 world leaders who signed the Millennium Declaration at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2000. As a leader known for his “hands on” approach, the Prime Minister has demonstrated yet again that personal commitment and action can bring global commitments home to the Pacific and to Samoa.

After receiving his MDG T-shirt earlier in the day from the UN Multi-Country Office in Apia, he not only wore it during most of the competition, but also asked for MDG T-shirts for his entire Archery Team so that they too could spread the MDG word.

Happy to oblige, the United Nations Resident Coordinator Ms. Naheed Haque delivered them, and watched as the Prime Minister and the Samoan Archery Team won two silver medals – an excellent score for a team that had only recently taken up archery and had trained for only five months.

After the win, the Prime Minister said to her “I took up archery to show that anyone can participate in sport, and hope the medals will inspire a new generation of Samoans to take up archery – a new sport for Samoa”. The team went on to win a gold medal and bronze the next day.

The Millennium Development Goals is a set of 8 global time bound and measurable development goals that all 192 United Nations Member States including Samoa and 13 other Pacific Island Nations have promised that they will work to achieve for their citizens by the year 2015.

Every 5 years, all UN member countries report to the UN General Assembly on how each country is progressing towards the 2015 “development dream”. Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea have already submitted their first 5-year MDG reports to the United Nations which give a mixed picture of progress.

Overall, the Polynesian countries are faring better than their Melanesian counterparts on the MDGs. A Pacific Regional MDG Report published by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community SPC and UNDP in 2005 indicated that apart from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific is the next region where achievement of the MDGs will be a challenge.

The United Nations in collaboration with the Government of Samoa (MCIT, MNRE, MOH, MOF and MESC, the South Pacific Games Authority SPGA), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), ANZ Bank, Samoatel.

Talavou and the Safe Games Campaign are promoting awareness and action on the eight MDGs during the South Pacific Games through an MDG Campaign entitled “Achieve the Dream 2015”.
 

Event Polynesia Cultural Village farewells SPG athletes
11 September 2007 - Source: Tai & Togi

Friday 7th September 2007, the Event Polynesia Cultural Village which was opened 2 weeks ago at the Hotel Kitano Tusitala officially closed, farewelling the athletes of the 13th South Pacific Games.

The village promoted Samoan traditions and culture, giving visitors, tourists and overseas athletes alike, a rare opportunity to view the weaving of Samoan fine mats (iniini), the making of the umu, traditional entertainment, and various other traditional activities, coordinated by the organisers in a village type setting, with Samoan fales in the grounds of the hotel.

For the visitors that had no time to visit and the traditional Samoan villages themselves, Event Polynesia was able to bring the experience closer to everyone by choosing Hotel Kitano Tusitala as the most appropriate venue.

According to Teleiai Edwin Puni, Managing Director of Event Polynesia, “It has been a great success and the past two weeks saw a steady flow of visitors, especially the SPG athletes that had completed their sporting competitions”.

On the final night of the village, there was a large turnout of SPG athletes who had completed their sporting challenges and were looking for fun. The farewell gesture from the Event Polynesia Cultural Village included a full fanfare of Samoan umu food and entertainment, with a steady supply of Corona to quench the thirst of the athletes that attended.

They even gave out gold looking medals and sombreros for attendance. Marcellus Akapito, team coach for athletics and athlete Jack Howard, both from the Federated State of Micronesia said, “This is a great evening and we have enjoyed coming here. The hospitality extended to us by the hosts has been tremendous.
 

Business of the Week: Women in Business Foundation
10 September 2007 - Source: Women in Business Foundation

The Women in Business Foundation (WIBF) was established in 1990 and registered as a charitable foundation in April of 1991, under the Incorporated Societies Ordinance 1952. It is the only major NGO involved in micro-financing activities, directly linking micro-finance facility to micro-enterprise development and savings mobilisation.

The establishment of the organisation was initiated by a group of women who were facing difficulties in securing loans for their economic activities. From its humble beginnings as an NGO, the organisation has grown considerably, expanding more in its income generating activities, and is now active in 86 villages, with 18 villages on the waiting list for future activities.

Objectives of the Women in Business Foundation are to:
• To promote and advocate women’s interests in business
• To stimulate small business initiatives
• To provide advisory and training services for micro and small scale businesses in rural and urban areas.

One of the most interesting and unique features of the operations of the WIBF is in its membership. The WIBF works at the grassroots level, targeting women and young people. The suppliers and producers are those involved in the actual projects in the villages and the interpersonal relationships forged between them and the organisation have been a gratifying feature of its work.

Many projects that have been targeted at the rural areas have failed due to the assumption that people have the capability to manage their income in such a way that it will ensure sustainability of the projects.

The WIBF still has a long way to go in achieving its goals and objectives, however, there is a noted enthusiasm and appreciation of its work by its members. The hard work put in by the staff of the organisation has not been in vain and more and more the organisation is gaining greater recognition from the international donor community and also the export market. The WIBF hope that this recognition will translate into funding assistance and market for its products in the future, so that it can continue to do its work for the continued benefit of women, young people and ultimately Samoa.
 

Person of the Week: Vika Vanikolo
09 September 2007 - Source: Vika Vanikolo

Tongan Vika Vanikolo has resided in the United State of America since June 1970. Vika came to Samoa to watch the 13th South Pacific Games and to meet with Tongan families in Samoa.

While she was in Samoa, she had the chance to visit the Event Polynesia Village at Hotel Kitano Tusitala. Vika enjoyed the village and she commented that the Event Polynesia Village is the best place for both the athletes and tourists to visit while they are in Samoa.

Mrs Vanikolo has worked as a telemarketer for a textbook company since August 1971, in Belmont, in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. She also worked voluntarily for the Tongan Television Tanusia Maa Tonga and Radio Tonga San Francisco, where she hosted a program every Saturday morning, called “Women of Today".

Vika was also acting as the President for the Kainga Tonga USA Committee. This committee focuses on scholarships, beauty pageants, supporting families whose children are involved in gangs, and other community issues.

Vika is now sixty-four years of age, and she is currently in Samoa with her friend Sitina Atonio enjoying the beautiful Samoan culture and environment.
 

Back to Top               Gallery Week Archive