SAMOA RECOVERY PARTNERSHIP

Talofa, Talofa Lava!

O upu lava a le Afioga a le Atua (1 Korinito 12:26) e fa'apea: "Pe afai e tiga le tasi itu tino, ia tiga fa'atasi ai itu tino uma lava; pe vi'ia le tasi itu tino, ia olioli fa'atasi ai itu tino uma lava." O le ala lena o le fa'atalauula atu ona o se lagona o'otia mo lo tatou atunu'u o Samoa atoa, ona o le fa'alavelave na tupu. E ui ina faigata le soifuaga, ae ua taumafai lava e fesoasoani i le mafatiaga o lo'o o'otia ai o tatou Tama ma Tina Matutua ma aiga uma i Samoa. O le a lava se fesoasoani e maua mai, o le a talia lava ma le agaga fa'afetai. O le a fa'ailoa atu lava lona fa'aaogaina po'o le tulaga o le a o'o iai lau fesoasoani. Fai mai le Tusi: "E sili lava le manuia o le foa'i, i lo le talia." Ia fa'amanuia tele atu le Atua ma ia fa'aoloaina pea outou e tusa ai ma o outou mana'oga uma. Ua na'o ni auauna lava ia Keriso ae o se tupulaga tautua mo aiga fa'apea le atunu'u. Soifua.

On Sept. 29, 2009 a magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit the South Pacific and triggered a tsunami that destroyed many villages, schools, businesses and homes on American Samoa and Samoa.  The Garden Grove Samoan Assembly of God has established the Samoa Recovery Partnership (www.samoarecoverypartnership.org) focused on providing humanitarian aid and recovery plans.  As U.S. federal agencies begin to wind down their efforts, we are faced with these long term challenges:

• Destruction of 5 Public Elementary Schools (K-8) with over 600 displaced students needing facilities, books, supplies, etc
• Major medical equipment damage and over-use at the LBJ Hospital
• Post Tsunami sypmtons requiring trauma and grief counseling for children and adults
• Logistics and transportation challenges for most impacted villages

The Samoa Recovery Partnership has provided over $100,000 in food, water and medications but we are now faced with needed capital to implement a full recovery and rebuilding plan.  We have established the Samoa Recovery Partnership Framework to provide technical assistance to American Samoa and Samoa affected by the Tsunami.  This Partnership Framework has the following mission objectives:

• Establish a private sector led economic rebuild and recovery consortium of Corporate, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), Government and Community Organizations. 
• Send an assessment team with experts in Healthcare, Education, Infrastructure and Economic Development to meet with America Samoa consortium partners in Pago Pago, AS
• Provide needed Pharmaceutical and Medical/Surgical Supplies and Equipment to American Samoa
• Help establish 90 day,180 day and long term recovery/rebuilding plans for affected villages and communities

Our key corporate partner, Dearborne Inernational has provided the needed medications and medical supplies/equipment to achieve this mission.  We are seeking additional Corporate donors to subsidize the costs to implement the Samoa Recovery Plan.   Your assistance will be greatly appreciated

The Samoa Recovery Partnership is a consortium of Corporate, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), Government and Community Organizations led by the Samoan Assembly of God, Pastor F. W. Opeta.  Our consortium partners include:

Sincerely,

Pastor F. W. Opeta
Samoan Assembly of God