NEWSPAGE 12 October
2011

(Photo: Creative New Zealand)

(Photo: Samoa Observer)

SAMOA: The nation applauds Manu Samoa
Source: Samoa Observer
 
The Manu Samoa are still heroes despite missing out on a shot at the quarter finals at the Rugby World Cup this year.

This was proven last Saturday as thousands of diehard Manu Samoa fans crowded the streets of Apia yet again to congratulate the team on their efforts.

Organised by Digicel, the parade started in front of Aggie Grey’s Hotel, along the Beach road, passed the Government building to the Maota o Tina, around to the back of the Flea Market back to the Government Building. The team was greeted by Prime Minister and Samoa Rugby Union Chairman, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielgaoi and Ministers of Cabinet.

Lusia Tuimatagi who works for Aggie Grey’s Hotel joined her colleagues in greeting the team on Beach Road last Saturday morning.

“We were all told to wear blue today to support the boys,” she said.

“Although we lost, they are still champions in our eyes.”

Atonio Tausili of Palisi, a relative of James Sooialo, decorated his vehicle with Manu Samoa flags and drove into town with his family to see the team.

“We have put our White Sunday shopping aside and decided to come and cheer on the boys instead.”

A sea of blue swept along Beach Road once again as men, women and children of all ages wanted to get a glimpse of their favourite Manu Samoa star.

Manu Samoa captain Mahonri Schwalger said he was touched by the peoples’ loyalty.

He was moved to tears as he apologized to the people of Samoa for not bringing home the World Cup.

“We really thought we were going to advance to the quarter finals but things did not go as planned,” he said.

“We are humbled by the support shown here today (Saturday) and once again we thank the people of Samoa for putting your faith in us to represent our country.”

Tuilaepa said the government and people of Samoa were satisfied with the Manu Samoa’s performance.

“The nation applauds you loudly and proudly,” he said.

“You have returned although unsuccessful and despite the nation’s high aspirations, we are nonetheless overwhelmingly satisfied with your brave performance.”

He said the Manu Samoa faced many challenges most notably with the International Rugby Board.

“The IRB were unfair and unjust towards the Manu Samoa and this should be a lesson for the Manu Samoa, not to look back but to concentrate on the future development of the team.”

Photo Caption: Members of the Manu Samoa are pictured with the staff and owners of Aggie Grey's Hotel at Vaisigano last Saturday during the farewell parade.
 

(Photo: Oceania Football Confederation)

AUSTRALIA: Young Leaders recognise impact of Just Play

The OFC Just Play grassroots programme has been recognised at the Commonwealth Pacific Young Leaders Conference in Brisbane, Australia, as a successful example of how the power of sport can be used for development.

OFC President David Chung, General Secretary Tai Nicholas and Head of Social Responsibility Franck Castillo attended the four-day meeting which brought together youth leaders from 11 Commonwealth countries across the Pacific and was organised by the Commonwealth Youth Programme.

President Chung says it offered the perfect opportunity to share key outcomes from Just Play.

“OFC is recognised as one of the leading organisations that uses sport for development in the Pacific and we are delighted to be part of this conference to share our experiences with the future leaders of tomorrow,” President Chung says.

The development work of OFC was noted in the official communiqué released after the conference which stated:

“Young leaders acknowledged sports as a tool for youth development and welcomed OFC’s ‘Just Play’ initiative and the Pacific Youth and Sports Conference held in Auckland, New Zealand 2010.”

The inaugural Pacific Youth and Sports Conference (PYASC) was hosted by OFC in Manukau during March last year and brought together 1000 young people from across the region to look at ways in which sport can be used as a tool to bring about positive social change.

Just Play is a unique grassroots programme that promotes physical activity for primary-aged children while encouraging community involvement and healthy living.

Developed by the OFC social responsibility and technical departments, Just Play was launched in Tonga in October 2009 and has since been introduced in Vanuatu, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Auckland, New Zealand.

As leader of the project, Castillo made a presentation in Brisbane on the progress of Just Play including a recently completed external report showing the positive impact it has had on Pacific communities.

“As part of OFC’s commitment to achieving positive change for children, we recently commissioned an external review of Just Play,” Castillo says.

“The review findings show there have been huge benefits for the more than 40,000 children who have participated.”

Importantly, Castillo says Just Play is in line with the Millennium Development Goals which were established by the United Nations (UN) in September 2000.

The UN aims to meet the eight goals by 2015 and Just Play is targeting several of them, such as the promotion of education, gender equality and global partnerships.

“The percentage of girls involved in Just Play is 41 per cent which is really encouraging. In addition, results have shown that children who participate in Just Play are more motivated to go to school and are able to concentrate in class.”

Castillo says Just Play also incorporates educational resources to teach children about health issues such as malaria and aids.

All of these examples were presented in depth during the conference, which ran from Monday to Thursday last week.

OFC will continue to work closely with UEFA and the Government of Australia - through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) - to roll out the Just Play programme across the Pacific. The Australian Government has shown its support to the project by contributing AU$4million.

The confederation has also been working in New Zealand with Special Olympics (NZ) on a Just Play programme for people with mental disabilities and will launch the new initiative in Samoa this month.

Photo Caption: Just Play has reached over 40,000 children across the Pacific.

(Photo: Tonga Ministry of Information & Communications)

TONGA: National Food Summit to address food security and prices
Source: Tonga Ministry of Information & Communications

With the upcoming worldwide observance of the World Food Day on October 16, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFFF) have jointly coordinated a National Food Summit with other Government Ministries including the Ministry of Labour, Commerce & Industries (MLCI), Environment and Climate Change (MECC), Health (MOH), Finance & National Planning (MONFP) to address a broad spectrum of food security and issues from agricultural and marine resources supply to food legislation and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the need to strengthen food and health systems.

The Summit was keynoted by the Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFFF), the Hon. Lord Vaea who outlined the purpose and structure of the Summit and synergies to the Pacific and World Food Summit.

Scores of representatives from the Food Industries & Importers, Producers and Consumers, Women's Groups (Women Development, ‘Aloua ma'a Tonga, Langafonua, Catholic League, Tonga Women National Congress, and Youth Groups), Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC), non-governmental organizations including the Talitha Group, District & Town Officers, Civil Society and Organizations have attended the Summit.

During the two-day summit, ongoing consultations and presentations by various speakers and stakeholders from Government Ministries, development partners and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) will discuss issues with price swings, upswings in particular, represent a major threat to food security in developing countries, including Tonga.

In tune with this year's theme, ‘Food prices -from crisis to stability', the aim is to shed some light on this trend and what can be done to mitigate its impact on the most vulnerable - from food industries, importers to consumers to the local producers and suppliers.

The National Food Summit which is held at the Fa'onelua Convention Center, from 11 to 12 October is one of the key programmes organized by the MAFFF this week to mark the World Food Day.

During the week, from October 14-15, the Tongatapu Agricultural Show will also showcase and feature farming and marine products displays and competition at the ‘Atele Outdoor Stadium.

Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries, Lord Vaea delivering his keynote address at the summit.

TUVALU: US$4 million from PEC Fund for Tuvalu desalination and solar power
Source: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Press Release
 

Tuvalu will access US $4million from the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund to setup desalination plants and solar-power generation for the small island nation in crisis.

“This is a timely project as Tuvalu is currently in a state of emergency due to drought,” said Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Tuiloma Neroni Slade.

Tuvalu declared a state of emergency on 28 September 2011 due to lack of fresh-water supply, and having recorded the lowest rainfall in three consecutive years of drought.

“The project will complement efforts being undertaken to address the state of emergency in Tuvalu and will contribute to the long term goals of increased access to a sustainable supply of water during periods of drought, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions through the use of renewable energy.”

The ‘Project of Desalination System and Solar Power Generation under the PEC Fund’ will include a 100m3/day desalination plant for Funafuti, as well as two 10m3/day desalination plants that will be mobile and can be shipped to the outer islands during times of extreme dry periods.

In addition, a 65.52kWp solar PV system will be installed directly to the power grid on the island of Funafuti. The solar PV system will result in annual cost savings equivalent to 38 tonnes of diesel for the Government of Tuvalu and will reduce their carbon emissions.

The US$4million project was approved by the PEC Fund Joint Committee on 7 October 2011. A financing agreement between the Forum Secretariat and Tuvalu will soon be signed with implementation to begin shortly after.

The PEC Fund is a commitment by the Government of Japan of ¥6.8 billion (approx US$66 million) to support Forum Island Country (FIC) projects with a focus on the provision of solar power generation systems and sea water desalination plants, or a combination of both. The PEC Fund is managed and administered by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
 

(Photo: Alamy)

WORLDWIDE: Massive drought in South Pacific
Source: news24

Crops are wilting, schools have shut their bathrooms and government officials are bathing in lagoons because of a severe shortage of fresh water in a swath of the South Pacific.

The island groups of Tuvalu and Tokelau have declared emergencies, relying on bottled water and seeking more desalination machines. Parts of Samoa are starting to ration water.

Supplies are precariously low after a severe lack of rain in a region where underground reserves have been fouled by salt water from rising seas that scientists have linked to climate change.

While nobody has gone thirsty yet, officials worry about the logistics of supplying everyone with enough water to survive and the potential health problems that might arise. And exactly how the islands will cope in the long term remains a question mark.

"We are praying that things will change," Samoan-based official Jovilisi Suveinakama said.

Six months of low rainfall have dried out the islands. Climate scientists say it's part of a cyclical Pacific weather pattern known as La Nina - and they predict the coming months will bring no relief, with the pattern expected to continue.

Rising sea levels are exacerbating the problem, as salt water seeps into underground supplies of fresh water that are drawn to the surface through wells.

On the three main atolls that make up isolated Tokelau, the 1 400 residents ran out of fresh water altogether last week and are relying on a seven-day supply of bottled water that was sent on Saturday from Samoa, Suveinakama said.


Health issues

Suveinakama said that some schools no longer have drinking water available, and that the students often need to return home if they want to use a bathroom.

"In terms of domestic chores, like washing clothes, everything has been put on hold," he said. "We are cautious of the situation given the possible health issues."

Suveinakama said that Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand, has tapped emergency funds to buy desalination machines, which turn salt water into fresh water. He hopes those will be shipped to the islands soon.

In Tuvalu, a nation of low lying atolls that is home to less than 11 000 people, Red Cross team leader Dean Manderson described the situation as "quite dire".

He said that on the island of Nukulaelae, there were only 60 litres of fresh water remaining on Tuesday for the 350 residents and that the Red Cross was sending over two small desalination machines.

He said much of the well water on Tuvalu is unusable because it has become contaminated with salt water.

The New Zealand government this week flew a defence force C-130 plane to Tuvalu stocked with Red Cross supplies of bottled water and desalination machines. Officials including High Commissioner Gareth Smith also flew over to assess the situation.

Smith said the coconut trees on Tuvalu are looking sickly and that the edible breadfruit, which grow in trees, are much smaller than usual. He said other local fruits and vegetables, including a type of giant taro, are not growing well or are in short supply.


Two buckets

He said people in the capital of Funafuti are permitted a ration of two buckets of water per day and that government ministers have been bathing in the lagoon to preserve water.

Funafuti residents have been relying on a large desalination machine for much of their daily water supply, said Manderson. The Red Cross has been helping improve the function of that machine and has been fixing other such machines that have broken down, he added.

New Zealand climate scientist James Renwick said the rainfall problems can be traced back 12 months, when the region began experiencing one of the strongest La Nina systems on record.

La Nina is sparked when larger-than-normal differences in water temperature across the Pacific Ocean cause the east-blowing trade winds to increase in strength, Renwick said. That, in turn, pushes rainfall to the west, leaving places like Tuvalu and Tokelau dry.

Last year's La Nina system dwindled by June but has begun picking up again just ahead of the November rainy season, Renwick said, meaning that there is no relief in sight for island groups like Tuvalu, Tokelau and Samoa.

"Low rainfall continues to be on the cards, at least through the end of the year," Renwick said.

Officials say they are concentrating on the short-term supply problems and have not yet had time to think about longer term solutions for the islands. But they say that the combination of rising water levels and low rainfall mean makes life on the islands look increasingly precarious.

Photo Caption: The Tuvalu Red Cross has reported that it has not rained properly in the country for over six months.