US AMBASSADOR RELATES WELL TO SURVIVORS

​“I know what you have been through.  I’ve been through the same thing; they called us survivors.  We have been hurt, but we survived.  I am a survivor myself.”says Scott Brown.
 
Spoken like a true survivor himself, the U.S Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, Scott Brown and his wife Gail Brown were accompanied to the Campus of Hope by the U.S Embassy Apia Chargé d’Affaires Tony & Izumi Greubel.
 
As the U. S Ambassasdor shared with the children survivors of gender based violence under the care of Samoa Victim Support Group, they were all attentive, focusing on his every word because it speaks volume of the recovery journey every survivor goes through.
 
Leaving his seat with the rest of the visiting delegation, Ambassador Scott Brown moved closer to children, reassuring them that being at the Campus of Hope is not the end, but rather the beginning.
 
“I want to let you know that I understand what you go through.  Not a single day goes by that I don’t remember, but I tried to move past it, and so should you.”  The Ambassador then gifted the children with his book titled ‘Against All Odds’ together with CD’s from his eldest daughter and American Idolsemifinalist Ayla Brown.
 
Culminating Ambassador Scott Brown’s visit at the Campus was a walk through the Hot Soup Skill Building, a livelihood and educational program carried out by SVSG for the child vendors with funding support from the U.S Embassy Apia.
 
SVSG President Siliniu LinaChang acknowledged the support from the U.S Government towards the work of SVSG.  “Thank you so much Ambassador Scott Brown and your beautiful wife Gail for visiting the children at the Campus.  You have inspired them with your story as they each go through their rehabilitation programs.  Thank you also for supporting the Hot Soup Skill building program for the child vendors which is making a positive change in their lives.