Initiatives

Since 2005 when she left her job with Congress, Aumua has undertaken a number of private initiatives to improve the daily lives of the people of American Samoa including The Flying Doctors of America Initiative; the Guam Jobs Relief Initiative; the ESOP Initiative; the Al Lolotai Sports Training Facility with Pita Maivia Sports Conditioning Center Initiative; the One Laptop Per Child Initiative.  In 2003 Aumua succeeded in restoring the funding of the ASCC's Upward Bound Program which had lost all of its funding that year.  (See attached Samoa News piece below.)

In 2007 Amata first contacted The Flying Doctors of America about coming to American Samoa. FDOA's mission is to provide medical assistance and hope to as many of the poor and needy as they are able to reach by flying medical & dental teams to wherever the need takes them.  Amata in 2010 succeeded in bringing to American Samoa, for the first time ever, the world renowned humanitarian medical organization to provide medical and dental services to the people of Tutuila, Ofu, Olosega, Ta'u, Aunu'u, Swains and the Independent State of Samoa.  Working closely with the American Samoa Department of Health and LBJ Tropical Medical Center, FDOA provides these critical services annually using American Samoa as their South Pacific regional hub.

Amata's initiative to find jobs for displaced commercial fish cleaners began May 2009 immediately after Chicken of the Sea/Samoa Packing's first announcement that it would close on September 30, 2009.  Her Amata's Guam Jobs Relief Initiative brought job opportunities to 3000 tuna cannery workers who lost their jobs as a result of the of the U.S. federal minimum wage and annual 50-cent escalator clause imposed on American Samoa by the U.S. Congress.  Two fifty cent increases have occurred in the last two years and the third increase is scheduled for September 2010.  Intrigued by her private initiative a film maker interviewed Amata for a documentary expected to air on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) later this year.
 

Another project, Amata's 2009 ESOP Initiative, would create jobs for unemployed cannery workers.  Amata urged the American Samoa Government to consider exploring the potential of developing an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) for the Chicken of the Sea/Samoa Packing plant.  Under an ESOP, a new company, owned in whole or in part by the plant's employees would take control of the closed facility.  

Letter to the Editor: "UPWARD BOUND DEJA VU"
December 01, 2007

Editor, Samoa News

Dear Editor,

First I want to commend the staff of the Upward Bound Program as well as the President of ASCC and her staff for successfully getting their grantee status changed. I am reminded of the facts of this case by our Delegate's press release this week about the latest funding for the (UBP) Upward Bound Program.

The release mentioned the change in ASCC's grantee status in 2003, but overlooked the most important fact, which was that UBP actually LOST all of its funding that year. As the parent of school aged children I remember reading about it in the Samoa News back then and it was of great personal interest to me.

As it turned out, somebody did get the UBP funding restored that year, just by being persistent and refusing to give up even though others had abandoned UBP. If that funding had not been restored back in 2003, who knows where ASCC's Upward Bound Program would be today?

What happened was that when the UBP director could not get any help for his program through normal channels, he reached out to Aumua Amata as a last resort, and she went to bat for ASCC's Upward Bound Program at the U.S. Department of Education. Even though it was not really her job, she got the UBP back onto the radar screen. Later Amata was criticized by others who publicly credited themselves with restoring the funding.

Months went by and then, one day, the Director of the Upward Bound Program sent Aumua Amata a letter of thanks for restoring the program's funding which I also read in the Samoa News.In his letter dated Oct. 1, 2003 to Aumua, Seiuli Hipa Neria said, "I have received great news this morning about our proposal being funded. I know you have been behind this ever since we sought your help. My staff and I want to thank you for your great work. Our American Samoan students will again receive college preparatory services Upward Bound has been provided."

Seiuli continued, "Great work our dear friend! You will hear from us again. May God continue to bless and watch over you and the work you do for our people. With much appreciation, (signed) Hipa Neria and UBP Staff."

A small note of delayed thanks, Aumua, from a local parent.

Sami Tafaoata

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