A village mayor from American Samoa is to receive an award for his leadership during the tsunami that struck the territory in September.
Aveao Faausu Fonoti, who is the mayor of Amanave village, will be presented the award at the opening of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, which will focus on high quality disaster training.
The Executive Director of the facility, Karl Kim, says Aveao will be the first ever recipient of the Community Resiliency Leadership Award.
"In spite of the fact that something like eighty percent of his village was destroyed, there were no casualties. And based on our research we found that many lives were saved because of his bravery, his leadership, his knowledge."
Karl Kim says Aveao Faausu Fonoti will be the only recipient of the award to be presented in Honolulu, Hawaii tomorrow.
