STRONGER COMMUNITIES PROJECT
Donor Agency: UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women
Duration: October 2011 – October 2013
Duration: October 2011 – October 2013
The project aimed at building grassroots advocacy campaign to implement strategies at the village level to end violence against women.
Part of these strategies included livelihood programs for village women to empower them and to form networks to combat violence in their community.
Part of these strategies included livelihood programs for village women to empower them and to form networks to combat violence in their community.
According to the SVSG President, “A strong, proud and successful community does not tolerate any form of violence against women.”
Samoa Victim Support Group was one of 22 organizations around the globe to have a project funded by the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women in 2011. Selected from over 3,000 applicants worldwide, SVSG was humbled by this milestone achievement for Samoa as a whole.
The approximately 500 registered SVSG Village Reps again fronted up this 2 year project, putting into practice what they have learned from the Caritas Project of 2011 and further develop themselves as agents of SVSG in the village community through advocating with village leaders to end violence against women.
The Stronger Communities approach saw church, village and government leaders taking on the responsibility to end violence in Samoa. This was evidence by their embracing of the Torch of Peace, which travelled throughout Upolu, Savaii and Manono-tai for 16 days.
Achievements:
Celebrating History in the Making
It was a normal Monday morning but at the end of the day, 10 December 2012 would be noted as one of the celebration of history in the making for Samoa.
This was when the final leg of the Torch of Peace journey culminated to this one last round, gathering supporters from Toamua to Taufusi, to Town Clock to Mulinuu and finally, to the front of the Government Building for the closing ceremony of the 16 Days of Activism. For 16 days, SVSG had taken to the streets all over Samoa to encompass the whole of community in this peaceful proclamation of our ‘Calling it ENOUGH’, to domestic violence against women and children. And after 16 days, we believe that the message had been declared louder and clearer thanks to our community in solidarity.
One would think that we are taken back to the celebration of our nation’s 50thAnniversary as we see supporters from all facets of the community crowding the streets, some alongside the torch, some following the torch, and many more going before the torch to capture this unique moment.
All our families, friends and supporting partners along the way came out to take part in passing the message along to the Judiciary, the Parliament and finally to the Government.
The highlight was the final leg of the journey from the Court House to the Government Building where we saw the Judiciary lead by Honorable Chief Justice Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu receiving the torch and congratulated SVSG for the initiative “I acknowledged and congratulated Samoa Victim Support for sending this message out to the whole of Samoa and may the people of Samoa learn to stop this increasing crime of violence against women and children of Samoa.”
From there, CEO of the Ministry of Justice passed the torch on to the Attorney General’s Office, to the Law Society, to Brenda Heather-Latu, Kosi Latu of SPREP and to Chad Berbert, Charge de Affaires of the US Embassy.
With SVSG’s work with UN Women through a 2 year project to combat violence against women, UN Women Representative Ms Mele Maualaivao took the message across to Masiofo Filifilia Tamasese who represented the mothers of Samoa in delivering a request to Government as part of this peaceful process.
Samoa Victim Support Group was one of 22 organizations around the globe to have a project funded by the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women in 2011. Selected from over 3,000 applicants worldwide, SVSG was humbled by this milestone achievement for Samoa as a whole.
The approximately 500 registered SVSG Village Reps again fronted up this 2 year project, putting into practice what they have learned from the Caritas Project of 2011 and further develop themselves as agents of SVSG in the village community through advocating with village leaders to end violence against women.
The Stronger Communities approach saw church, village and government leaders taking on the responsibility to end violence in Samoa. This was evidence by their embracing of the Torch of Peace, which travelled throughout Upolu, Savaii and Manono-tai for 16 days.
Achievements:
- Leaders taking ownership of their roles to end violence in Samoa; from the government to the churches to the villages, a stronger Samoan community was created.
- The Torch of Peace saw women survivors of violence running towards the Torch for what it represented – HOPE;
- The Torch of Peace created history in Samoa:
Celebrating History in the Making
It was a normal Monday morning but at the end of the day, 10 December 2012 would be noted as one of the celebration of history in the making for Samoa.
This was when the final leg of the Torch of Peace journey culminated to this one last round, gathering supporters from Toamua to Taufusi, to Town Clock to Mulinuu and finally, to the front of the Government Building for the closing ceremony of the 16 Days of Activism. For 16 days, SVSG had taken to the streets all over Samoa to encompass the whole of community in this peaceful proclamation of our ‘Calling it ENOUGH’, to domestic violence against women and children. And after 16 days, we believe that the message had been declared louder and clearer thanks to our community in solidarity.
One would think that we are taken back to the celebration of our nation’s 50thAnniversary as we see supporters from all facets of the community crowding the streets, some alongside the torch, some following the torch, and many more going before the torch to capture this unique moment.
All our families, friends and supporting partners along the way came out to take part in passing the message along to the Judiciary, the Parliament and finally to the Government.
The highlight was the final leg of the journey from the Court House to the Government Building where we saw the Judiciary lead by Honorable Chief Justice Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu receiving the torch and congratulated SVSG for the initiative “I acknowledged and congratulated Samoa Victim Support for sending this message out to the whole of Samoa and may the people of Samoa learn to stop this increasing crime of violence against women and children of Samoa.”
From there, CEO of the Ministry of Justice passed the torch on to the Attorney General’s Office, to the Law Society, to Brenda Heather-Latu, Kosi Latu of SPREP and to Chad Berbert, Charge de Affaires of the US Embassy.
With SVSG’s work with UN Women through a 2 year project to combat violence against women, UN Women Representative Ms Mele Maualaivao took the message across to Masiofo Filifilia Tamasese who represented the mothers of Samoa in delivering a request to Government as part of this peaceful process.
“I am so happy to present this “TORCH OF PEACE” to the Hon. Prime Minister with the request to the Govt. to please support the move to stop violence against women and children of Samoa,” Afioga Filifilia said in tears. “We have to stop it before it’s too late, women of Samoa have a very important role in the development of Samoa’s future,” she concluded.
And always one not to mix too many words, Hon. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesolia Dr Sailele Malielegaoi said acknowledged that“It’s a special time of the year as this 16 Days of Activism concluded. I want to urge all men to stop these animal actions you are doing to your children and wives and also to women to stop abusing the children of Samoa, they are the future of the country.”
And following dances and entertainments by villages that travelled specifically for this occasion, SVSG President again reiterated the success of this peaceful message being each and everyone’s responsibility to live it within our families, our villages and our churches in our daily lives. As only then would we be able to say that we have conquered this evil from invading the security of our homes, specifically our dear mothers and children.
And always one not to mix too many words, Hon. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesolia Dr Sailele Malielegaoi said acknowledged that“It’s a special time of the year as this 16 Days of Activism concluded. I want to urge all men to stop these animal actions you are doing to your children and wives and also to women to stop abusing the children of Samoa, they are the future of the country.”
And following dances and entertainments by villages that travelled specifically for this occasion, SVSG President again reiterated the success of this peaceful message being each and everyone’s responsibility to live it within our families, our villages and our churches in our daily lives. As only then would we be able to say that we have conquered this evil from invading the security of our homes, specifically our dear mothers and children.