NEWSPAGE 23 September
2011

(Photos: eventpolynesia.com)

SAMOA: Toa Samoa UK tour train-on squad announced
Source: Rugby League Samoa Press Release
 
Toa Samoa will tour the UK and Ireland next month. New coach Daniel Anderson will make sure that Toa Samoa continues to provide a professional and sustainable system while maintaining improvement each year. Three games have been confirmed with the first two being played in England and the last game in Ireland.

A high calibre of Samoan players will be matched against their English and Irish contemporaries. It is a positive step for the small Pacific nation with the opportunity of playing regular international fixtures.

The squad will be in camp for a total of three weeks (two weeks in England and one week in Ireland). Thirteen players based in Australia have been named so far in the train-on squad with more players to be named. The final team will be announced after 3 October at the conclusion of the NRL and Super League seasons.

Toa Samoa vs Cumbria Selection
Saturday 16 October
Workington
England

Toa Samoa vs England Knights
Saturday 22 October
Coventry
England

Toa Samoa vs Ireland
Saturday 28 October
7pm
Thomond Park, Limerick
Ireland

2011 TOA Samoa UK Tour - Train on Squad

Masada Iosefa - Penrith Panthers
Mark Taufua - Newcastle Knights
Peter Matautia - Newcastle Knights
Evarn Tuimavave - Newcastle Knights
Ben Roberts - Canterbury Bulldogs
Martin Taupau - Canterbury Bulldogs
Frank Pritchard - Canterbury Bulldogs
Eddie Pettybourne - South Sydney
Daniel Vidot - Canberra Raiders
Sam Tagataese - Cronulla Sharks
Matt Wright - Cronulla Sharks
Matt Utai - West Tigers
Tim Simona - West Tigers

2011 TOA Samoa UK Tour - Officials

• Head Coach - Daniel Anderson
• Assistant Coach - Lauaki Freddy Tuilagi (Samoa)
• Strength and Conditioning Coach - Scott Campbell (Dragons NRL)
• Physio - Steve McCullagh (Bulldogs NRL)
• Football Manager - Fritz Tui’avii (Samoa)
• Technical Director - Nigel Vagana (NRL)
• Treasurer - Tagaloa F Su’a (Samoa)
• Medical Advisor - Dr Simon Perritt (St Helens FC , UK Super League)
• Nutritionist / Dietician - Melanie McDonald ( Dragons NRL)
 

(Photos: Australia-Pacific Technical College)

AUSTRALIA: APTC Ni-Vanuatu Students get surprise visit from High Commissioner

During the Hibiscus festival in Suva the Certificate 3 in Painting and Decorating all-female class of students from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji were undertaking a project to paint a house for the Fiji National University's National Training & Productivity Centre.

One of the students excitedly came up to the Trainer Michael Farrugia and said "the Vanuatu High Commissioner is here!" with a sense of pride in her voice.

The Vanuatu High Commissioner for Fiji Mr Kanam Wilson Naplaui had heard that the students were working at Albert Park and wanted to visit them.

Mr Naplaui expressed appreciation to the Australia-Pacific Technical College for the contribution they make to the professional development of their people. In particular he was very appreciative of seeing the all female class as an affirmative action toward women in non-traditional roles.

There were seven females in the class from Vanuatu and Mr Naplaui made a point of meeting all the students individually and thanking them for their commitment. He stayed and observed their work and was very impressed at the seriousness with which they were approaching the task.

Painting and Decorating Tutor Mavuku Tokona, often relates his heritage as stemming from Vanuatu despite the fact he was born in Fiji. Mr Naplaui made an acknowledgment of his "one talk" Mavuku and they enjoyed sharing some observations of the Vanuatu community in Fiji.

After Mr Naplaui had departed the students expressed to the trainers how proud they felt that he had come and visited and met them. A story they look forward to sharing with the family back home.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Certificate 3 in Painting and Decorating Vanuatu students pictured here with Mr Naplaui (wearing a green shirt).

Photo 2 - Elenoa from Port Vila demonstrates her skills to Mr Naplaui.

USA: Call for applications for Gates Millennium Scholars Program
Source: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Press Release

Congressman Faleomavaega announced yesterday that applications for the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program are now available online to students entering college for the first time in the fall of 2012.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program will select 1,000 students each year to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. The GMS Program also provides scholars with personal and professional development through leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career.

Students chosen as Gates Millennium Scholars receive funding based on financial need and the cost of tuition, fees, books, and living expenses are also included. In addition, the scholarship is renewable based on the student’s academic progress and timely application.

Created in 1999, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the intent of promoting academic excellence and providing an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential. The GMS Program also provides graduate school funding for continuing GMS Scholars in the areas of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

Since 2006, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund has managed the Gates Millennium Scholarship for Asian and Pacific Islander American applicants (GMS/APIA). According to APIASF, 8 students from American Samoa and 28 students of Samoan descent overall have been awarded the scholarship. Since inception, the GMS Program has graduated a total of over 7,000 scholars.

Students are eligible to be considered for a GMS scholarship if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native*, Asian Pacific Islander American** or Hispanic American

• Are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States

• Have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED

• Will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma) in the fall of 2012 as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student. First-time college enrollees can also be GED recipients

• Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities

• Meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria

• Have completed and submitted all three required forms: the student’s application (Nominee Personal Information Form), an evaluation of the student’s academic record (Nominator Form) and an evaluation of the student’s community service and leadership activities (Recommender Form) by the deadline

In order to be eligible to be considered for the GMS scholarship, all three forms must be submitted online by Wednesday, January 11, 2012 11:59 PM EST or postmarked on or before January 11, 2012. The Gates Millennium Scholarship application can be downloaded at www.gmsp.org. Applicants who need further assistance may contact Faleomavaega’s district office in the A.P. Lutali Executive Office Building in Utulei or call 633-1372.

“Once again, I want to encourage every qualified student in American Samoa to take advantage of this opportunity and apply for a scholarship. I want to thank the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund for outreaching to our students in American Samoa and for working closely with my office year after year to provide these scholarship opportunities,” continued Faleomavaega.

“Last but not least, I want to congratulate our most recent GMS Scholars from American Samoa: Julianne Avalua Mao, Phil Petera Meleisea, and Mata’uitafa Temukisa Faiai. Higher education is priceless and I commend these scholars as well as past recipients for their exceptional achievement and for pursuing the financial resources to fund their education,” Faleomavaega concluded.

(Photo: Vanuatu Daily Post)

VANUATU: Benjor’s “Survivor Vanuatu” in aid of ProMedical a huge success
Source: Vanuatu Daily Post
 

For the second year in a row, Benjor resort on Mele bay hosted a fantastic afternoon of serious fun and serious fundraising to help ProMedical.

ProMedical is Vanuatu’s rapid response paramedic ambulance service, which operates entirely on donations, fundraising and fees charged for services provided. A large crowd came out in the Sunday sunshine and were not disappointed by the hilarious series of four “survivor” style games where cheating and bribing were not only openly practiced - they were encouraged!

Once again the day was packed with embarrassing behavior from competitors and spectators alike. Sixteen teams with sixteen players each ran, rolled and pulled their way round the courses. Competitors of all ages took part, from young fit ni-Vanuatu to a bunch of aging expats whose bodies clearly showed the signs of too many beers and too many late nights!

Douglas Patterson, the chairman of the Vanuatu Emergency Medical Association (VEMSA) the charity that oversees Promedical’s operation, told daily post that “this year’s event was an even greater success than last year’s. The VEMSA board and the ProMedical management and staff would especially like to thank those behind the event, particularly Terry and Charmaine Roberts, Irma “Red” Gilford and the Benjor managers Dave and Nola Atkins, who have all worked tirelessly in their different ways for the last three months to make sure the event took place and was such a great success. Anyone who has ever organised a fundraiser knows how much work is involved behind the scenes and they, as well as everyone who helped them, did an amazing job.”

The ProMedical team manager, Michael Benjamin, also thanked all the competitors, the majority of whom were local ni-Vanuatu, as well as the many generous sponsors who donated raffle prizes and helped out many different ways. He also encouraged everyone who has not yet joined ProMedical to contact the ambulance station on 26996 and take out a yearly subscription for themselves, their family or their employees.

ProMedical will shortly make an official announcement of how much money was raised but there is no doubt that this event, which is now an annual fundraiser is the single biggest money raising event for ProMedical.
 

(Photos: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat)

WORLDWIDE: Republic of Korea assists Pacific fight NCDs
Source: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Press Release

Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have expressed alarm that 75 per cent of all adult deaths in the Pacific are due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

NCDs, commonly known as ‘lifestyle’ diseases, include heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, among others.

It was against this backdrop that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding to renew the ROK-PIF Cooperation Fund.

A grant of US$300,000 from the Republic of Korea will support a regional training programme for primary healthcare workers to support the prevention and treatment of NCDs.

“On behalf of the Secretary General and Members of the Pacific Islands Forum, I wish to thank the Republic of Korea for their generous and most appropriate support to assist the Pacific tackle NCDs,” said Acting Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Mr Feleti Teo.

Throughout the region, incidences of NCDs have reached epidemic proportions as declared by Health Ministers in their Honiara Communiqué on the Pacific Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Crisis issued by Health Ministers on 30 June 2011.

The intense four-week training programme will be implemented jointly by the Seoul National University Hospital and the Fiji School of Medicine. The Fiji School of Medicine will be providing administrative and logistical support, and the Seoul National University Hospital will be providing technical expertise. The training programme will commence in October and will be held at the Fiji College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Services in Suva.

The ROK-PIF Cooperation Fund which has been established to support regional training programmes from 2011 to 2013, and is administered by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Republic of Korea Ambassador H.E. Cheong Hae-wook (left) signs the MOU to renew the ROK-PIF Cooperation Fund with Forum Secretariat Acting Secretary General, Mr Feleti Teo.

Photo 2 - Forum Secretariat Acting Secretary General, Mr Feleti Teo, and Dean of the Fiji School of Medicine, Professor Ian Rouse formalise arrangements for the regional training programme for primary healthcare workers to support the prevention and treatment of NCDs.