Two organisations working to build the resilience of vulnerable populations in communities in Samoa have received grants totalling USD$1.5 million from the U.S. government.

The USD$1.5 million (SAT$4.1 million) grants funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was announced in a media release issued on Thursday (Friday Samoa Time).

These grants will support a wide range of activities at the community level ranging from disaster risk reduction preparedness and response, community development, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Samoa will receive USD$532,608 (SAT$1.5 million) that will go towards generating new livelihood opportunities, promoting women’s empowerment, and addressing disaster risk management needs in 20 rural Samoan villages, thereby improving the lives of 14,000 people.

Women in Business Development Inc. (WIBDI) will receive USD$997,564 (SAT$2.7 million) which is earmarked for protecting small coconut tree farms in Samoa, through managing the population of Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles, using biological methods without the use of chemicals and pesticides. The project is expected to work with 2,000 households throughout the islands.

USAID Deputy Development Advisor Patrick Bowers said the U.S. government remains committed to the region's vulnerable communities.

“The U.S. government is committed to strengthening the ability of the Pacific Island region’s most vulnerable communities to live healthy and secure lives, free from disaster-related disruptions through community-led, forward-thinking awards such as those we announced today,” Mr. Bowers said. 

“We look forward to welcoming many more local grantees in the coming year.”

Launched in 2020, USAID’s Pacific American Fund awards grants on an open and competitive basis to qualifying local, national, and internationally operating civil society organizations, including private small-and-medium enterprises, non-governmental organisations and institutions, universities, and faith-based organisations.