Economic Empowerment Of Untitled Men Of LonaFagaloa
Photo: S.V.S.G
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
Photo: S.V.S.G
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.”