NEWSPAGE 04 December
2009

(Photos: Pacific Cooperation Foundation)

NEW ZEALAND: Invitation to Leadership Pacific Symposium

(Photos: SFSF-NC / OFC)

SAMOA: New statutes cap off key week for Samoan football
Source: Oceania Football Confederation Press Release

Samoan football has been in the spotlight this week with the re-opening of its number one international playing pitch by the OFC President and the signing of new statutes.

A Special General Meeting of the Samoa Football (Soccer) Federation (SFSF) was held over the weekend at Tuanaimato Football Complex following an official re-opening ceremony for the number one field by OFC President Reynald Temarii and the Honourable Acting Prime Minister Fiame Naomi.

President Temarii says the impressive renovation bodes well for the future of Samoan football.

“Colin Tuaa and his close team of staff are to be commended for managing this period of rehabilitation over the past few months. The playing facilities are now superb and this will naturally lead to an increase in football activities,” said President Temarii.

Founded in 1968, the SFSF has been through a challenging period recently with FIFA setting up a normalisation committee in December 2008 to administer and manage football in the country.

With former New Zealand International Colin Tuaa appointed interim chairman and Toetu Petana becoming vice-chairman, the committee has since worked hard to develop the football infrastructure, improve administrative practices and rebuild the sport.

The purpose of the Special General Meeting at the weekend was to approve the new statutes for the future of Samoan football.

Attended by eleven of the twelve affiliated clubs, Tuaa opened the meeting by highlighting the achievements of the committee since its establishment.

“The facilities here have been refurbished and upgraded, notably the number one pitch but also the number four ground which is now in the process of being developed,” said Tuaa.

“Key staff have been recruited in compliance with the OFC Financial Assistance Programme regulations and I am also pleased to advise that a significant amount of the debt owed to creditors since the normalisation period began has been repaid. We have also established a full calendar of competitions including men’s and women’s national leagues, a national youth tournament, a business house seven-a-side tournament and a five-a-side school tournament.”

Tuaa presented a plethora of other achievements including the launch of a national identification process and participation in FIFA/OFC courses by a number of Samoan representatives. He also paid a special tribute to Desmond Faaiuaso who this year became the first Samoan player to sign with a New Zealand Football Championship franchise.

Glenn Turner, FIFA Development Officer for Oceania, says FIFA and OFC have worked closely with the normalisation committee to develop a long-term strategy known as the ‘roadmap’.

“The federation’s Long Term Development Plan 2009 - 2011 has been finalised in collaboration with the member clubs and provides the administration with a detailed plan for football activities and functional needs in terms of management, communication and infrastructure,” said Turner.

“With the support of FIFA and OFC, the outlook for Samoan football is bright, particularly under the leadership of Colin Tuaa. Drawing on his Samoan heritage, Tuaa has brought passion to the role and is determined to put the right people and systems in place so that in the coming years Samoa’s youth, men’s and women’s teams will once again be competitive.”

In other matters, the committee:

• Approved the decision to expel the six non-affiliated clubs from the committee; the key factor being their non-support of the normalisation process and initial refusal to affiliate in December 2008. The concerned clubs will have an opportunity to apply in the future and be accepted if they satisfy the criteria set by the committee but will have no voting rights until after the elective congress scheduled for December 2010. (Put as no.1 in this list).

• Approved the decision for Betham & Co to become the SFSF Normalisation Committee auditors.

Photo Caption: Samoa Football (Soccer) Federation Normalisation Committee Interim Chairman, Colin Tuaa.
 

(Photo: United Nations Development Programme)

KIRIBATI: Invest in education now and gain more in the future
Source: United Nations Development Programme Press Release

¨We have no books that are appealing to teenagers and can help them develop their verbal and written English skills.¨ Principal Berenato Timon of a private secondary school on the small island of Abemama in the republic of Kiribati is asking me if I can help. His request makes my mind wander off for a second to the future where I see more than a hundred thousand possible climate refugees from Kiribati having to find another place to live after their beautiful atolls may have succumbed to rising sea levels. How will all these women and men and their girls and boys adapt and survive in new countries if they do not have both solid life-skills and academic competencies to bring with them?

Abamama is a stunning little paradise with fringing reefs, palm trees and children playing in and around a spectacular blue lagoon. Beneath the surface the people of Abemama are however struggling with limitations to the health and educational opportunities available in their paradise. On top of that, climate change is already a reality here that they can taste as their fresh water is turning salty due to a combination of more frequent droughts and rising sea-levels. The rising sea is also eating away at the coastline and in some cases eating away at their only main road connecting the many villages on the island.

My focus returns to the present and the request from Berenato which I of course wish to help with. At first I come up with an idea that all newly enrolled students can bring one book for teenagers as part of their enrolment procedure. Berenato thinks it is a good suggestion but shares that many parents are already struggling with paying for the school tuition and therefore many students will not be able to bring a book. I ask how much the school fees are and find out that they are very low and that the school is not running for profit. At the same time I close my eyes to visualize any bookshops I have seen on the main island of Tarawa and realize there are not that many options in Kiribati to find books that are both of interest to teenagers and useful for their development of English skills.

Together with two of his students, Berenato shows me the school library which is equipped with some books, most of them in the category of textbooks on topics such as analysis of statistics and user manuals for old outdated computer programmes. No wonder that the students are more frequently seen catching fish on the beach or in choir practice than caught reading, and that when they do read it is easy to digest romance and action stories. With great respect and admiration for the activities of fishing, singing and reading for pure entertainment, such skills will not alone equip these young people for a climate change affected future. In such a future they will have to demonstrate solid skills and competencies to become properly integrated in new communities and different economic settings.

These young girls and boys need and have a right to quality education that can nurture both their life skills and academic competencies.

In Tarawa I discuss Berenato’s request with my colleagues from the Ministry of Education and ask if the ongoing support to procurement of books for primary school libraries can be extended to all schools in Abemama. They explain that they would be very happy if all schools in Kiribati received the books and equipment needed to ensure a quality education for all children, but that funds are too tight .They remark how the economic crisis in their country is driving up prices on basic commodities, eroding their already limited salaries and purchasing power - just like the rising sea is eroding their coastline and basic road infrastructure. The World Bank has predicted that the economic impact of climate change to Kiribati will be massive to a nation of only 100.000 people. (Cities, Seas, and Storms -Managing Change in Pacific Island Economies, World Bank 2000). How will these people be able to cope with enormous expenditure needed to mitigate the effects of climate change, when the quality of education in Kiribati is already now compromised by limited availability of learning resources and erosion of the very basic salaries of teachers and public service officers?

Getting books for the students future is not going to be easy and that the I-Kiribati’s will have to be very creative to ensure that massive efforts are initiated now to prioritize the education of the girls and boys of today who will have to cope with the mounting challenges of tomorrow. It will take each one of them more than a minimum basic school cycle to reach a stage where they can start truly start competing in a global environment, and contribute to their country’s pressing need to grabble with effects of climate change. Saving on the budgets and support to the education of the children in Kiribati and other countries in the Pacific will only aggravate the social and human challenges they will face in the future. And beyond their basic human right to quality education - it is very likely that the girls and boys of Abemama and many other areas in the Pacific will have no choice but to become much better integrated in the global economy when effects of climate change at some point has made their homes uninhabitable. At that stage the countries to which they will have to move will be much better off if they arrive with skills and competencies needed to contribute socially and economically in their new home. Investment in their education now should therefore be a central priority not only in Kiribati and other Pacific countries likely to experience similar scenarios - but also in the countries to which they will likely migrate in the future. Invest in their education now and gain much more in the future!

Photo Caption: Coastal erosion on Abemama.
 

(Photo: Tauamo Sione Sami)

USA: EFKAS Fort Bragg NC sends tsunami assistance
Source: Robert Yandall

Submitted by Staff Sergeant Tauamo Sione Sami
EFKAS-FB, Failatusi

With the devastation and the loss of lives caused by the earthquake and the tsunami, soldiers and families of EFKAS Fort Bragg North Carolina were very saddened. It was an even sadder day for the Ekalesia when the news of the death of the mother of a church member, Mrs. Moefiti Maea from Vailoatai, of injuries sustained from the tsunami.

A Fiafia Night fund raiser was held to raise whatever we can send to assist with the ongoing recovery and rebuilding effort. With the small numbers available due to deployments and other absences, $2000.00 was raised. Because soldiers and their families, to include retirees, in and around Fort Bragg come from both Samoa and American Samoa, Reverend Manaomia Tauanu'u wanted to ensure that the assistance from the EFKAS Fort Bragg is sent to both American Red Cross in American Samoa and, the Red Cross Society in Samoa. EFKAS continues to offer prayers for those who lost loved ones and for the speedy recovery of all of its people.

TOA O LE VATEATEA
EFKAS FORT BRAGG NORTH CAROLINA

Photo Caption: Reverend Mana'omia Tauanu'u and the EFKAS Fort Bragg proudly display its contribution to assist all of Samoa in its ongoing recovery and rebuilding effort. The checks displayed were sent to the American Samoa Red Cross and the Samoa Red Cross Society of Samoa.
 

VANUATU: Vanuatu Surfing Association creating waves in the country
Source: Vanuatu Daily Post

The newly formed Vanuatu Surfing Association (VSA) has been creating positive vibes among the locals, especially Pango village where a surf shop owned by Tom David has been erected.

The Association's main goal is to establish surfing as a competitive sport in Vanuatu by encouraging and organizing the local children to compete against other countries in the new discipline.

Since its humble beginnings in October, the Association has already proven its worth when the local team took on New Caledonia (NC) last month in the first ever Melanesian Cup that was held at Pango and saw the locals clinching their first ever international tournament.

The competition was held in 4 different categories, Under 14, Over 14, Over 18, Girls and Open.

In the Under 14 Baptiste Rebut from NC took the pole position followed by Vanuatu’s Jeremy Collin and Louis Chamoux from NC.

In the Over 14, Vanuatu’s Roger Kalotiti came out as the eventual winner followed by Julien Ravelli and Nathan Fabre both from NC.

Vanuatu also went on ahead to win the Over 18 with Feansar Kalmet and saw Amaury Lafage from NC coming in second.

In the Girls category Vanuatu’s Resmah Kalotiti came third with Pauline Leroux and Anouck Lafage from NC claiming the top two spots.

In the Open category Vanuatu’s Kai Healy Atkins claimed the top spot ahead of the New Caledonian surfers to seal a narrow victory for team Vanuatu who just beat New Caledonia 29.100 to 28.270 points to claim the first ever Melanesian Cup.

This event was heavily sponsored by the father of professional surfer Jeremy Flores, Patrick Flores.

Flores is the Quicksilver representative for the Pacific and has kindly provided the many prizes for local children while in the country.

Next year New Caledonia will be hosting the second Melanesian Cup with invitation already going out to Solomon Islands and PNG.

The VSA has had a professional surf board maker and shaper, Paolo D’ Angelo and from Gold Coast Australia has been in the country for the last 10 days fixing the boards in Pango village and also teaching the children how to do it, and has seen a member of the Wan Smol Bag Theatre also actively learning the art himself from D’Angelo.

The VSA has Ben Johnson as the President, Chief Obed of Pango as the Vice President and Ben Brookman as the Secretary.

One good thing about surfing is that Vanuatu has great waves and lots of open water for all to try out this new sport.
 

(Photos: Fagaitua Alumni Association)

WORLDWIDE: Operation Eastern Star: Thanksgiving drops
Source: Fagaitua Alumni Association Press Release

On November 19th, Operation Eastern Star delivered relief supplies to over ten villages from Alao to Aua including several families in Afono, Vatia and Fagasa. The items delivered included: sleeping bags, 5 gallon water jugs/cases of water, clothes, and cases of ramen noodles. The donors for this extensive drop included Sacramento Job Corps, John Still Middle School and Nazareth Baptist Church in Sacramento, Fagaitua Alumni residing in the state of Hawaii, VOAD/Evelyn Stevens, DGX/Sia’a Taylor, Island Breeze Water/Erica & Pete Asuega, Mr. Ace Tago, CBT-Tala Ho Ching, Fagaitua HS Football Team/Coaching Staff, Roxanne Salave’a, Fagaitua High School Staff & Student Body, and Fagaitua Alumni.

Alumni & Friends sorted through a 20 ft container donated from Sacramento on the 14th-15th before distributing on the 19th. Please visit our website for a list of those who volunteered their time to sort through a tremendous amount of donations.

To wrap up our Thanksgiving Drop, Fagaitua HS Alumni Association participated in Fagaitua High School’s Aso Fa’afetai Island Style celebration where Operation Eastern Star was presented 35+ food baskets from the Fagaitua HS JROTC staff and students. The food baskets were later delivered to the village of Masefau.

Operation Eastern Star then presented school supplies: notebooks, pencils, erasers, totes, sharpeners- to 10 elementary school principals who were also invited to the Aso Fa’afetai celebration. The schools targeted for the Thanksgiving school kits drop were: Matatula, Aunuu, Olomoana, Alofau, Masefau, Laulii, Aua, Afonotele, Vatia and Coleman.

The donors for the Thanksgiving ‘school kits’ drop were: Fagaitua HS Class of ’88, Tauapai & Lana Laupola, Cyrus & Angelina Paopao, and Salote Fanene.

Up to date, Operation Eastern Star Relief Drive has given to 200+ families and 1800+ students on the eastern district of Tutuila. The Operation will come to a close when it makes its final drop on the 12th of December. Please visit us at http://www.95boyz.com/operationeasternstar. Our next Fagaitua Alumni & Friends Meeting will be on the 10th of December at Fagaitua HS Campus at 4:30pm as we discuss the upcoming Alumni Christmas Ball.

One of the many positive stories that came from Operation Eastern Star’s relief drive is the story of Lisette & Tai. Lisette is from John Still Middle School in Sacramento, California. She was one of the many donors from the Sacramento area. While sorting through the donations, we found a plastic bag of clothes with a letter inside. This was the only bag that contained a letter and picture from the donor. The letter was addressed to a ‘Samoan Girl’. After reading through Lisette’s letter, we felt that there was a need to identify a specific young girl who was affected by the recent tsunami to give Lisette’s bag of clothes and letter to. Operation Eastern Star identified Asofa’afetai Saofaigaoali’i from the village of Afono whose family and elementary school were affected by the Sept 29th tsunami. Tai was excited to receive a donation from a girl her age in California. Her mother was shocked that someone so young could make a difference in a place so far away. The Saofaigaoali’i family expressed their gratitude to Lisette as well as to all the ‘young’ donors from John Still Middle School.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Sorting at DGX.

Photo 2 - Loading at DGX.

Photo 3 - November 19 drop.

Photo 4 - Aloa drop.