Students at the Aigafesilafa’i Parish pre-school in Vaitele-fou are returning to their classrooms today to find that they have been given a new paint job.
The project is courtesy of the Samoa Returnees’ Charitable Trust (SRCT), whose membership spent last Saturday toiling in the hot weather to ensure the rooms will be ready today.
Vernon J. Mackenzie, the Trust’s Senior Returnees Officer, said giving the school a new paint job was their way to giving back to the community.
“This is the second phase of the programme that we launched last year at Mapuifagalele,” said Mr. Mackenzie. “It’s a programme that is being developed as we go along. Our members are delighted to be able to do this for the school.”
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The Trust is made up of reformed prisoners who perform community service.
“Many of our members have been doing a lot of hard work for the community and we also did some work during the S.I.D.S. for the New Zealand High Commission because they also supported us.
“We believe that these programmes are a part of the returnees’ rehabilitation and reintegration back into the mainstream as per the Trust’s main objective.”
He said that helping and getting them back to the community would bring light into their lives and help them in their journey.
“We are actually a pilot programme for the region. At the end of the day, everyone deserves a second chance. These members who were in prisons before, I am glad to say, most of them are now born-again Christians.”
The Trust is a product of the Law and Justice sector’s Criminal Deportees Taskforce set up in 2010 to address issues related to deportees.
“We initiate programmes that keep our members active and busy, complemented by our office that facilitates a healthy environment to give the returnees’ every available opportunity to be successful and ensure they do not return to a life of crime to survive.”
“The main objective of our Trust is to try and help out these returnees from different countries such as New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
“This is part of the reintegration and rehabilitation programs here in Samoa,” said Mr. Mackenzie.
The project aims to address the social and personal disadvantages faced by deportees and to help in the resettlement process.
Mr. Mackenzie said part of their service is that they introduce them to members of the trust who have been through the deportation experience.
“We are networking with returnees who have successfully reintegrated back into Samoan society. We also help them settle into a new environment, reconnect with relatives and access support systems in their respective villages.”
“Our Trust is also does counseling especially when a returnee arrives to Samoa.”
Mr. Mackenzie said they are still encouraging the returnees to register under the programme so that they can get help.
“There are only sixty registered members but there are actually more than two hundreds in Savai’i and Upolu.”
“We are still open to any returnee who wants to register under the Trust.”
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