Economic Empowerment Of Untitled Men Of LonaFagaloa

The Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) has revisited the

village of Lona Fagaloa this week to monitor the usage of

equipment and tools that were handed over to the untitled

men’s group or the aumaga.

In September this year, fishing equipment, farming tools and

cleaning materials valued at $4,994.00 were officially handed

over by SVSG to the Aumaga of Lona Fagaloa.

The tools and equipment are part of the government’s

financing assistance allocated to SVGS to assist with

eliminating violence against women and girls, through

poverty alleviation.

The focus of the Aumaga’s project is subsistence living,

serving and earning, through farming and fishing activities to

cater for refreshment needs of their village council meetings.

Any access produces are to be sold to finance the Aumaga’s

ongoing activities such as administering the village’s evening

curfew and the general maintenance of the village.

When SVSG staff visited Lona Fagaloa to monitor the

Aumaga’s income generating activity, the untitled men were

hard at work cleaning up the Lona Primary School compound

and gets paid $200.

According to Ariu Lisi, the leader of the Aumaga, “the tools

and equipment have really served their purpose, which is to

enable the untitled men of Lona Fagaloa to serve while

earning an income to provide refreshments fo the village

council meeting.”

“For all cleanup work for the families, churches or schools of

Lona Fagaloa, or neighbouring villages, the Aumaga charge a

fee of $200 for lawn mowing and cleaning. All cleanup work

for the village of Lona Fagaloa itself, is free of charge.”

The SVSG President, Siliniu Lina Chang, commended the

untitled men of Lona Fagaloa for implementing its project

according to the approved proposal.

“Thanks to the funding assistance from the government of

Samoa, SVSG is able to implement activities to eliminate

violence against women and girls, inclusive of income

generating activities to alleviate poverty and consequently,

violence.”

Toa Samoa: More Than Just History Makers