A family from Aleisa whose home was completely damaged by fire last week while they were in Savai'i to vote have received assistance from the Adventist Development Relief Agency (A.D.R.A.) Samoa.

The assistance to the fire-stricken family was confirmed by A.D.R.A. Samoa’s Director, Su’a Julia Wallwork in an interview with Samoa Observer.

According to Su’a, the A.D.R.A. received a request from the public to assist the family of Faalogo Latu. 

Attempts by this newspaper to get a comment from Mr. Latu was unsuccessful via phone calls and the family was also not at home when the Samoa Observer visited their home.

However, in a Facebook video released last Saturday a day after the general election, Mr. Latu shared that the incident occurred during the time he and his wife were in Savai'i attending the general election.

“When my wife and I returned home after the voting process in Savai'i, we are deeply saddened when we heard that our home has been affected by fire.

“The fire as you can see has been completely destroyed by the fire.”  

Su’a said that part of A.D.R.A. Samoa’s mandate is to assist the vulnerable and the family of Mr. Latu have become vulnerable after losing their home.

“We respond to the need without preference, religion, culture, race or political, we try to work as an independent organisation and when assistance is given to us then. 

“After we got the request, my team had to carry out an assessment and they filled in their forms and they have passed requirements to be considered vulnerable. 

“Once it has been approved because it has to go into the process then we are able to build them a new home.”

She added that A.D.R.A. Samoa has provided immediate help for the Latu family with food and household items for comfort.  

The Latu Family has nine members altogether according to A.D.R.A. assessment.

Su’a added that whenever a request is given to them, they respond, not just for homes affected by fire but during times of natural disasters, when houses are destroyed. A.D.R.A. has built homes for the devastated. 

“During these hard and difficult times we are all in, whether it is a result of vulnerability or from tragedies, we shall continue to live in hope.

“A.D.R.A. continues in its work to help those who need help. We are working with [caretaker] Government to provide safe homes for vulnerable.” 

Last year, the caretaker Government committed $1 million to build more than 100 homes for vulnerable families. 

The funding assistance was allocated as part of the Government’s second stimulus package in response to the effects of the COVID-19-led economic downturn. This project is being implemented by A.D.R.A. and it will conclude June 2021.

In previous years, a project that aimed to provide better homes for Samoans through the Habitat Build Project was a venture between the Samoa Housing Corporation, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (A.D.R.A.) and Habitat for Humanity, New Zealand.

Last year, A.D.R.A. Samoa in partnership with Habitat for Humanity New Zealand worked to offer support to build evacuation centres in villages. The Evacuation Centre Project is funded by the New Zealand government which is allocating NZ$4 million (SAT$6.8 million).