Samoa Victims Support Group says thank you

By Deidre Fanene 02 July 2016, 12:00AM

The Chairperson of the Samoa Victims Support Group Board, Georgina Newton Lui, has expressed her heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated to their recent Radiothon to help fund the group’s activities.

 In confirming that they raised $300,000, Georgina said they are extremely grateful to everyone who contributed. 

 “We called this press conference to thank all those kind hearted individuals that willingly answered our call for help to pay the daily operational cost of the organization during our Radiothon on the 18th of June,” she said.

“The aim was to reach the whole of Samoa through the village representatives by taking the Radiothon sheets to all the churches, villages, businesses, government and individuals.”

According to the Chairperson,  “90 per cent of the fund will go towards the shelter’s expenses and 10 percent to the office’s operational expenses and staff salaries.”

Georgina especially thanked Digicel Samoa for donating $51,000 during the L.T.E Network launch on Thursday to the cause.

“We would like to especially thank Digicel for their donation of $51,000tala on Thursday night, the Katina Brothers for donating $38,000tala and the American Samoa Government made the contribution of $10,000USD,” she said.

“Our mission at S.V.S.G is to provide shelter and comfort to those who have been physically and emotionally abused. “In doing so we aim to create a safety environment where worry of the basic necessity of lives is our responsibility.

“This will give the victims, time to grieve, time to heal and time to have an opportunity to find their place in the world.”

She added that while the amount might seem a lot, the organization can with a lot more help.

 “$300,000tala is a lot of money and many of you might be thinking that this should be enough to look after our victims for some time,” she said.

“However the reality is we house 70 victims in the shelters on average.

“Some stay a short while and some stay permanently like the orphans and although the number vary slightly from week to week and the cost average is at 16tala per day for food medicine, hygiene, water and power, making that annual cost is in the vicinity of $380,000tala.

“So at this time I would also like to thank those who provide for the shelter in any way they can from baby formula, to paying the power, to weekly supply of bread, set of sheets and towels to all those people we sincerely thank you for your unending love.”

By Deidre Fanene 02 July 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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