‘Sponsor a Teacher, Educate a Nation’ raising funds to provide resources needed to provide high-quality education 

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Missions Australia has begun a campaign to support the work of teachers in Samoa. Teachers and schools in the country lack resources to assist them in educating students. The campaign to “Sponsor a Teacher, Educate a Nation” will raise funds to provide resources, materials and training required for teachers to provide high-quality education for youth.

As part of the campaign, a video series has been produced. The first in the series features two young Salesian brothers discussing their lives and their role as educators. The video is available on YouTube. In the video, Brother Damien Taofinuu, religious education teacher at Don Bosco College and Educational Center Salelologa, said, “The thing I love most about teaching is that when I’m teaching, not only am I educating the students, but I learning something from them. Every day is a new experience and I learn something from it.”

Salesians in Samoa are committed to ensuring they are able to continue to provide quality education to poor and at-risk youth, and the schools are an important part of the community.

“We are so lucky that we have so many supporters that are invested in ensuring that our young people in Samoa have access to a good education,” said Lauren Hichaaba, delegate for Mission Animation and director of The Cagliero Project. “One really beautiful aspect of having a province that encompasses four countries — Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji — is that we are able to create strong relationships and bonds, particularly with our young people, despite the distance of the four nations.”

Although Samoa has made impressive progress in social development, many rural communities in the country grapple with an unequal distribution of wealth and benefits. Poorer communities in remote parts of the islands are particularly vulnerable, especially in areas most likely to be affected by cyclones or other natural disasters. Gender inequality is apparent as women strive and often fail to find the same work and income opportunities as men. Youth find it increasingly difficult to find livable wage employment in the country.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Australia – Supporting our schools in Samoa: “Sponsor a Teacher, Educate a Nation”

Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund

Salesian Missions – Samoa

World Bank – Samoa