A Collaboration Agreement between the Samoa Victim Support Group and the Samoa Spinal Network, as
co-partners in implementing the Nofotane Samoa Social Enterprise (NSSE) Project, was signed by the
President of the SVSG and the President of the SSN yesterday.
Funded by the European Union, the NSSE Project is the next step in the empowerment journey of the
nofotane women survivors of violence.
The overall objective of the 3-year NSSE Project is to support the transition of the Nofotane Program to a
social enterprise set up from 2027 onwards, providing employment, education, and empowerment
opportunities, to Nofotane women, inclusive of women with disabilities.
The Samoa Spinal Network is a non-government organisation set out to promote the rights of the people
of Samoa with spinal cord injuries. The organisation’s goal is for our members to be independent as much
as possible.
The Samoa Spinal Network joins the Samoa Family Health Association as the two co-partners of SVSG to
implement the NSSE Project. Through the specific services in addressing the health and wellbeing of the
nofotane women, the SSN and the SFHA will contribute to achieving one of the project outcomes relating
to ‘Healthier Nofotane women with an improved quality of life.’
The collaboration will see the SSN conducting workshops for nofotane women on caregiving of their family
members with spinal cord injuries, including physiotherapy support when needed.
According to the SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang, “For the Nofotane women to achieve their dreams,
they need to be healthy, happy, and safe. As such, the health and wellbeing component of the NSSE
Project implemented by the Samoa Spinal Network and the Samoa Family Health Association plays a
pivotal role in ensuring that the nofotane women under the Program are not only economically and
socially empowered, but are also healthy, happy and safe.”