Samoa is made up of nine volcanic islands, two of which – Savai’i and Upolu make up more than 99% of the land. Samoa was governed by New Zealand until independence in 1961. Samoa has the world’s second largest Polynesian group after the Maori’s of New Zealand.
Samoa is devoutly conservative Christian society centred around the extended family, which is headed by a chief who directs the family’s social, economic and political affairs. Many Samoan villages hold 20 minutes prayer curfews every night. The economy revolves around fishing and agriculture with the country’s primary source of income being remittance.
The recent tsunami in Samoa destroyed a number of coastal villages displacing roughly 4,500 people. Moving away from the coast up into the mountains has meant not only having to reestablish homes and villages but leaving their traditional source of food and income. While Habitat for Humanity has undertaken the task of rebuilding homes, access to clean water and sanitation continue to be pressing concerns as is the regular supply of food and clothing. “Helping Hands Across the Pacific” has shipped four containers of food and clothing to Samoa containing food, clothing, water purification packages, toiletries and essential hygiene products.
BAC through its “Helping Hands Across the Pacific” program is committed to providing aid to schools and villages in Samoa and to assisting in the development of community infrastructure which will provide long-term benefits to local communities and facilitate community education, health, economic self-sufficiency.