Orientation Workshops & Signing of Funding Agreements for the Successful Community-Based Organisations under the final round of the Small Grants Component of the Samoa Women Shaping Development Program- Gender Fund

Twenty-one community based organisations (CBOs) will implement
initiatives to economically empower women with funding from the Civil Society Support
Programme (CSSP) under the Small Grants Component of the Samoa Women Shaping
Development Programme (SWSDP) – Gender Fund.
Successful initiatives in this final round of the gender fund include sewing and elei printing for
girls and women, and vegetable farming initiatives targeting both women and youth. Other
initiatives include beekeeping for youth in some communities in Savaii, and a disability-focused
project.
The Small Grants Component of the Samoa Women Shaping Development Programme (SWSDP)
– Gender Fund is implemented under a partnership between the Government of Samoa and the
Government of Australia in support of gender equality in Samoa. The Gender Fund is
implemented through the CSSP.
The CSSP organised a 2-day orientation last week for the 21 CBOs whose project applications
were successful. The consultations started on Tuesday 28 th July, 2020 for Savaii at the Pulenuu
office at Salelologa, followed by the final workshop on Friday 31 st July, 2020 at the TATTE
Conference Room in Apia.
The orientation workshops aimed to inform the successful CBOs about the CSSP process and
procedures during project implementation to ensure their compliance with funding
requirements and CSSP policies. These CBOs include:

1. Komiti Tina ma Tamaitai Saleaula Savaii
2. Komiti Tina Lano Savaii
3. Auuso Fealofanio Metotisi Sataua Savaii
4. Komiti Tina Fogapoa Savaii
5. Komiti Tina & Tama’ita’i Samamea Fagaloa
6. Komiti Tina Satuimalufilufi

7. Komiti Tina Vailavea Samatau
8. Sosaiete Tina LDS Tafatafa
9. Mafutaga Tina Katoliko Tiavea
10. Komiti Tina Fagalii
11. Tulaele 1 st Relief Society LDS
12. Mafutaga Aualofa Vava’u
13. Aufono Salago Leauvaa
14. Alii ma Faipule Apia
15. Alii ma Faipule Lalovi Mulifanua
16. Apia Protestant Church Deaf Ministry
17. Beekeepers Association Samoa
18. Mafutaga Tina EFKS Falevao
19. Mafutaga Tama Ekalesia Penetekoso Fagalii
20. Mixed Farming Cooperative Society Inc Faleasiu uta
21. Tupu ma Aumaga Falevao

According to the CSSP Programme Manager, Ms Christina Taua, during her opening remarks,
the orientation workshops provide information to properly prepare CBOs for the
implementation of their initiatives. She advised the CBOs on the importance of good
communications with CSSP and harmonious collaboration amongst themselves and their
members, to successfully achieve the goals and objectives of their projects.
By the end of the orientation workshops, all the CBOs will have signed their funding
agreements to officially start the utilisation of their approved grants. They will then start
acquiring quotations from their selected suppliers to start the procurement of materials and
services as required for implementation. This process is managed by the CSSP Programme
Management Unit; no cash payments are made directly to the CBOs. The CSSP manages
procurement and makes direct payments to companies supplying the materials and services for
the CBO projects.
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For more information, please contact Sa’u Sefulu Salesulu (CSSP Grant Project Officer – DFAT) or
Tiatia Elu Motootua (Grants Facility Manager) on telephone 24617/27278 or email
cssp.office@cssp.gov.ws

CLOSING OF THE ASAGA WOMEN’S COMMITTEE SEWING AND ELEI TRAINING PROJECT

Women and youth in Asaga have learned new ideas through a sewing
and elei training project, which benefitted low-income households in Asaga through the
capacity development of women in skills for economic sustainability.

The village of Asaga celebrated the official closing on Monday 27 th July, 2020 of the “Sewing and
Elei Trainings for Women” project supported by the Government of Samoa through the Civil
Society Support Program (CSSP) and Australian Government.
The closing event on Monday showcased the new uniform for the Asaga Primary school sewn
by the women of Asaga as part of the project.
The project aimed to provide unemployed women and youth of Asaga with the opportunity to
learn new and innovative ideas to build their skills to cope with unfavorable situations and
expose them to new techniques to enhance their standard of living. In addition, this initiative
aimed to increase sustainable livelihood opportunities for the Asaga community to help
alleviate poverty and support economic success.
The Sewing and Elei Training project was the community approach to address the need to
create sustainable initiatives that boost economic stability and provide an alternative instead of
relying only on agricultural farming as the only means for income generation for households.
The Asaga Women Committee identified vulnerable households from their community. As a
result, most of the women who were engaged in the project were from vulnerable families who
were experiencing financial distress and struggling to make ends meet. Some parents could not
afford to send their children to school due to the cost of uniforms.
“The sewing and elei project has benefitted our village tremendously; the 30 participants at
first, did not have prior knowledge in sewing or elei printing. They are unemployed and come
from low-income families. Our village relies primarily on agricultural farming as our source of

income and for daily consumption. We are grateful for this funding assistance which enabled
the women of Asaga to acquire the skills to sew their own clothing and their children’s uniforms
which claimed significant cost savings for the families. The initial accomplishment of this project
was displayed during last year’s White Sunday when mothers sewed their children’s attires
without buying expensive clothes from the stores or paying for a tailor to have them sewn. In
addition, the project also provided others a supplementary income to support their families.”
said Lualua Tautu (mayor of Asaga).
The Government of Australia committed SAT $32,000, in partnership with the Government of
Samoa, through the CSSP under the Small Grants Component of the Samoa Women Shaping
Development Programme (Gender Fund) to fund the Sewing and Elei Training project of the
Asaga Women’s Committee.
The CSSP acknowledges with sincere gratitude the hard work and effort by the Village of Asaga
through its Women’s Committee which culminated with the successful completion of this
project. The CSSP also acknowledges the kind support by the Australian Government through
its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
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For more information, please contact Sa’u Sefulu Salesulu (CSSP Grant Project Officer – DFAT) or
Tiatia Elu Motootua (Grants Facility Manager) on telephone 24617/27278 or email
cssp.office@cssp.gov.ws