THE REWARD OF HARVEST

Eleven children residence of the Campus of Hope shelter facility are today reaping the harvest of their hard work, ending 8 weeks of training in organic farming.
 
Coordinated by the Samoa Culture Centre at Falelauniu, the Program promotes organic farming as a livelihood skill, as a healthy lifestyle and as a form of climate change mitigation and adaptaion.  However, for the 11 participants from the Campus of Hope, the program is much more than that as it is part of their healing process from the crisis situations affecting their young lives.
 
Despite the training being carried out at the Samoa Culture Centre, the children of hope practiced their skills at their own vegetable plot on Campus. They have learnt the importance of properly preparing and caring for the soil in order for the plants to grow well.  There were both the practical and the theoretical aspects to the training.
 
For SVSG, the process of nurturing, of caring and of seeing a plant grow to its harvest stage is similar to the rehabilitation process undertaken by these children survivors of gender based violence while on Campus.  And such is the reason why it was more rewarding to see the smiles on their faces while harvesting their crops today.
 
The Chair of the SVSG Board, Mrs. Georgina Lui therefore acknowledges the working in partnership with the Director of the Samoa Culture Centre, Maulolo Tavita and the Coordinator of the Program, Aliimuamua Tulili Aiese, on the organic farming training.
 
“What we have seen is the different talents God has gifted each and everyone of us with as we look at the graduates of the organic farming program today.  Our children have definitely reaped what they have sown, and we are very proud of them.” Georgina Lui
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