Since everyone is talking tsunami, I won't dwell too much on it. We all know what happened - the tragedy, the loss, the pain and sorrow of loved ones lost or missing. Up to this day there are still countless of people missing.
Anyway my little story is this. A lot of child victims of the tsunami lost their parents, some even entire families. After being treated at the Motootua hospital, they were transferred to one of the Government flats, #55 I think it was. This was an initiative of the Samoa Victims Support Group. There were about 15 of them ranging from a few months old to 14 yrs. On White Sunday, a group of good Samaritans got together with toys and ice cream to give to the children and make sure they weren't missing out on their Children's Day especially after the horrors they had experienced during the tsunami. The very next day one of the chief Samaritans found out that these were NOT tsunami children but children who were victims of abuse. The deception!!! Here were these people on overdrive with tsunami relief efforts and the victims support group was piggybacking on this to get assistance. Honestly it doesn't matter...at least these poor children got something for White Sunday and I as a patriotic citizen *cough cough* am thankful to these Samaritans for their help to the community. In these times of great need, it is very comforting to see the amount of people who have donated and put in their efforts to help the people of Samoa in any way they can. Ok so this is turning into a thank you speech from the director of the UN...lol.
well, when i first saw the message asking for things to give to the children i was like...whaat?? kids without ENTIRE families? ..ive yet to meet a child without an extended family willing to take that child as their own!!! anyhow, deceptive of SVU BUT, those children have endured longer and ongoing traumas than one tsunami, so keep up the support samaria agaleleis choohoooo!
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts, however I am disappointed in particular because you have actually gone on the road of defamation, in this case because your comment is not true. Humbly, may I ask that you please verify the facts before you actually post them.
I honestly understand what's happening in Samoa, and I too visited with the Tsunami victims there. I can assure you that those people you visited at that government compound, were definitely Tsunami victims...all those children within the age group you mentioned were Tsunami victim children, because the victims of abuse do not stay on those compounds! I know this for a fact, as I had visited these victims of abuse as well. Furthermore, I know that the case manager for Samoa Victim Support (may he be blessed for his good heart and wonderful work!), has been of tremendous assistance to the Tsunami victims based on personal observation (ie., with my own eyes) and firsthand information provided directly from the Tsunami victims I spoke with at the government flats, the hospital and even Mapufagalele!!
I know that we are all hearing things especially about aid going there, with some of which is actually true. However, my humble request is that before posting such messages, that you ensure that what you post is FACTUAL not based on HERESAY, because that just adds to the untrue "stories" file that does more damage than it does good.
Ma lo'u faaaloalo lava,
Ia manuia,
your fellow Samoan citizen.
Amazing. I only just read this comment from a fellow Samoan citizen. Let's not get too hasty and start talking about defamation. Unless you would like to call the Samoa Observer. Note that we only found out they were abuse victims because it CAME IN THE PAPER. So, fact or heresay? You be the judge. At some point when I am not busy, I will find the exact article in which the story came in last year in the Samoa Observer. I am not negating the good work done by SVSG, on the contrary, I applaud them for the vast amount of work they have done in the community.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on my blog :)