All delegates who enter the S.I.D.S Village will be treated to the sight of a floating island in the middle of a swimming pool at the Tuana’imato Complex.
The island features miniature Samoan villages complete with people, fales cricket grounds, roads, and communal grounds.
But the project which took one month and thirty young artists to build is more than an artistic interpretation of a S.I.D.S village, it provided temporary employment opportunity for all the young people involved through the Leulumoega School of Fine Arts.
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“This is the biggest project I have been involved in with my school,” said Milosia Tulia, a first year student at Leulumoega. Tulias contribution to the island was the material for the 22 miniature fales on the floating village.
The artistic representation of a S.I.D.S village on a floating island was a concept proposed by Peseta Margaret Malua, C.E.O of the Small Business Enterprise Centre.
“This is a small islands conference, this floating village represents a small island in the vast ocean, depicting the challenges that come with being a SIDS,” Peseta said.
The work of the youth artists were funded by the International Labour Organization under the Youth Employment Project in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.
The island which was installed earlier this week by the students and teachers of Leulumoega Fou also highlights climate change, disaster resilience, vulnerability, development and sustainability through the actions of the miniature characters and the landscape of the whole village.
“We wanted to display the realities of S.I.D.S,” Peseta said.
The Youth Employment Project mobilized over a hundred young artists and farmers in a variety of activities that will be showcased at the S.I.D.S Venue.
“The aim of the project is to enhance inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction through improved and increased sustainable employment, livelihood opportunities and food security for women, youth and vulnerable groups.”
“It ultimately supports institutional strengthening to develop more decent work opportunities, particularly for young men and women across all economic sectors,” said David Lamotte, Director for the ILO Country Office for Pacific Island Countries.
To view the S.I.D.S Floating Island and the works of young artists and farmers the public is invited to the S.I.D.S venue on Friday, 29th from 10 in the morning to 4pm.
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