Adventist Disaster Relief Agency (ADRA) Samoa is a community group working together with the Disaster Management Office division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) to help people protect themselves from natural disasters.
“The Community Disaster and Climate Risk Management Program (CDCRM) is the programme that was put together with financial assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) here in Samoa,” said Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Disaster Management Office Filomena Nelson.
“The whole idea of this is to standardise the consistency of approaches and manage tools that various organisations with an interest in disaster management have in communities and so the government decided to put through this programme.
“In addition to that, because we do not have sufficient numbers of human resources and assistance for this programme, the Red Cross here in Samoa was appointed as first community agency to deliver the programme in different villages.
“I also found out that as A.D.R.A. have the same interest in the programme we have welcomed them on board as well to join in on the programme.
“It is our hope that the programme will start going out soon, as we’ve all seen and witnessed a lot of things that have occurred around the globe, most recently our neighbors Tonga.
“So I would like to encourage the project manager and also the staff with this. I know the Project manager has worked in the ministry and he’s got a lot of experience in dealing with communities.
“I know it’s going to be a challenge to try and get schedules for the villages and to try and get everyone to participate in the programme.
“It is an all hazards programme focusing on all types of risks hazards and it requires among special things to make sure that everyone knows what to do. Programme Director at A.D.R.A. Germany Mike Perekrestenko clarifies their partnering with ADRA Samoa.
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“Our partnership with A.D.R.A. Samoa is actually very young, because the South Pacific is very far away from Germany, it has not been a focus for us so far.
“However we saw opportunities and we saw needs especially in disaster response, disaster risk reduction on these areas, so about three years ago we decided as A.D.R.A. Germany to put focus on the South Pacific.
“Our focus, in the mean time is on three island countries. We are focusing on Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Fiji - basically Cyclone Evan was the start of it.
“We responded to Evan and this is why I am here today, and this week will also be used to discuss further involvements, new projects and continuation of assistance.”
Asked if the assistance for A.D.R.A. Samoa was financial or technical, Mr. Perekrestenko stated, “It can be a bit of both, yes we have some technical knowledge in our emphasis, but the main emphasis is, of course in fundraising for projects.”
What do you think of A.D.R.A. in Samoa?
“Principally as Su’a mentioned in her introduction, A.D.R.A. is a worldwide agency and our focus is more or less - and I think this was mentioned, but I would like to highlight again. A.D.R.A. works with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change through empowering partnerships and responsible actions. We work to empower the communities.
“It’s not so much delivery, this is necessary after disasters happen but our main emphasis is the empowerment of the communities - to make the resilient develop themselves and to become self reliant.”
Why is it only Samoa, P.N.G and Fiji that you are providing assistance to but not other Pacific nations?
“It’s not limited to these three but they are our main focus.
“It’s a question of capacity as well, and apart from that, we work in a network. We have A.D.R.A. Australia and A.D.R.A. New Zealand as well.
“No, we work in co-operation with all the A.D.R.A.’s here in the South Pacific and make sure that we distribute our efforts in a fair way.
Over the long term, he said that they would spread throughout the South Pacific in the areas of disaster response as this is something ADRA Germany has always been strong at “it’s a tradition, but we also would like to put up strong emphasis on disasterrescue action and awareness, everything that’s connected with this issue.“
“This is also something we’ll be discussing with A.D.R.A. Samoa this week is, what issues there are apart from disaster and disaster risk in development, and how we can assist that as well.”
A.D.R.A. Samoa Su’a Julia Wallwork said that “A.D.R.A. Samoa is working together with the Disaster Management Office to deliver the programme to the villages in Apia on how and what needs to be done in times of disasters.
“We have been appointed to go out to the villages of Moata’a, Magiagi, Fagali’i and around the town area to deliver the programme.”
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