5 Jul 2007

Samoa NGO's seek more funds to fight social ills

1:48 pm on 5 July 2007

Samoa's umbrella of non-government organisations, or SUNGO, says the country could source funds for more NGO's to help victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.

The Prime Minister has encouraged discussion in Parliament of increasing social problems, and questioned what MPs, church leaders and village chiefs are doing about it.

SUNGO's chief executive officer Roina Fa'atauva'a Vavatau, says there are some NGO's that help victims, who have nowhere else to go.

She says, victims often know the perpetrator, and attributing blame is hard.

"And with a small knitted society like Samoa, it's very difficult to try and provide that confidentiality area surrounding a particular problem. So really I think it can be addressed at every level."

Roina Fa'atauva'a Vavatau says NGO's are volunteer organisations and she's thankful for NZAid's latest funding of about 400,000 US dollars to help out.