Habitat for Humanity and Samoa & Tonga Rebuilding On Track; American Samoa “Not Quite There Yet”

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Aerial view of devastation along the coastline of American Samoa following the 8.3 magnitude strong earthquake which struck on Tuesday 29th September, triggering a destructive tsunami which claimed 34 lives in American Samoa.

Six weeks after a destructive tsunami killed more than 140 along the South Coast of Upolu, Samoa’s emergency relief aid stage has made way for the rebuilding phase.

Government-appointed project managers, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand, say initial assessments are 425 “transitional shelter houses” are needed in Samoa. Niuatoputapu, where 9 people lost their lives, schools and hospital destroyed, 79 homes are needed.

As already reported here, Habitat, a small New Zealand-based not-for-profit compared to its USA counterpart, has been asked to oversee the rebuilding of 325 of those government-funded homes, and 25 homes funded by Caritas, a Catholic aid agency.

It is expected that the house tally will rise, Habitat says, as there are still families who have not yet added their names to the master list of those who lost their homes in the tsunami.

Rebuilding is scheduled to take place over an eight month period from November 2009 to June 2010. They aim to complete two fales per working day, or ten fales each week, to meet their building target.

At least two other NGOs, such as the Catholic Diocese and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are independently funding, project managing, and building at least 75 fales for their members and others affected in the tsunami.

So that’s the latest on the rebuilding work in Samoa right now. Habitat for Humanity NZ are aiming to have NZ volunteer tradespeople teamed up with local Samoan builders. Each team will be a mix of skilled and unskilled workers, although Habitat are hoping to send over as many skilled tradespeople as possible. They’ll spend two week stints. Please note: volunteers, this is an experience you need to pay for. Volunteer costs to pay upfront to Habitat? Approx $1200. That includes return airfares, three meals a day, basic accommodation. If you want to stay longer to help, it’s $35 extra a day. Click here to sign up.

How did Habitat for Humanity NZ get involved?

They flew over to Samoa, proposal in hand, and approached the Government of Samoa directly. On the 21^st of October at 10.30am, Habitat met with Tuisugaletaua Aliimalemanu Sofara Aveau, the Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure. Twenty minutes into the meeting, the Minister invited Habitat to project manage the rebuilding based on their proposal. He also invited them to attend a meeting  later that afternoon with five builder suppliers companies.

That  humble direct approach from Habitat for Humanity saw it kick start the Samoa Government’s official rebuilding phase.

What we have not mentioned here is that, aside from homes to rebuild, there are also schools, hospital clinics and other buildings to rebuild along the South Coast of Upolu, and in Niuatoputapu.

Habitat for Humanity NZ’s Proposal to Samoa on 21st October 2009 ( In brief)

They(Government of Samoa) fund the 325 houses with $18,000 Tala each (NZ$12,000). Yesterday the Samoan Government had decided upon a 7.2 x 4.8 metre Fale house plan, and it was costed by them at this price, including a separate toilet & shower unit and septic tank. This price excluded any labour component.

Habitat For Humanity NZ act as Project Manager to build the 325 houses, inclusive provision of Kiwi volunteer labour to facilitate and lead the rebuilding programme. This includes:

a) That we are a Christian ministry and are doing this to serve the Samoan people after the tsunami disaster, that we are a not for profit organisation and there is no gain in this rebuilding programme for Habitat NZ.

b) That we wished to work in partnership with the Samoan Government and other NGOs, and ensure the rebuilding process is well coordinated and avoids doubling up.

Full proposal details available here

Latest Progress Report from American Samoa

Mike Reynolds, U.S. Park Services (USPS), and Kenneth Tingman, Federal Coordinating Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). USPS and FEMA are among more than a dozen federal organizations who collectively have more than 300 people assisting American Samoa after the tsunami. Photo: FEMA.

Meanwhile in American Samoa last week, FEMA official Kenneth Tingman, when asked by reporters what was being done to rebuild homes said there is a plan but they can’t tell anyone yet.  Sound familiar? Exactly who is running their public communications programme here because they need help.

In short, for all its might and power, the USA government-funded FEMA could only confirm one fact to reporters at a press conference, billed as an update on relief efforts: “…we’re not quite there yet.”

Tingman, however, did tell reporters that there is a plan and that plan will be announced “…when the time comes.”

It is those kinds of official responses that reveal what a PR stunt last week’s press conference with FEMA and American Samoa Governor Togiola Tulafono, who has been off island for the past fortnight, really was.

It seemed less an update, and more an insensitive insider exercise in damage control after the CNN expose which revealed the extent of public funding misuse by the American Samoa Government. It implicated American Samoa Senators and of course, most of all, Governor of Samoa, and members of his Cabinet.  His right hand female spokesperson Evelyn Langford sat alongside Tulafono at the press conference last week.

FEMA officials from Washington told reporters how impressed they were with the federal-territorial partnership. It  is starting to look and sound a little like FEMA from the Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans days. If this is the same FEMA bureaucracy, with no lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami victims of American Samoa are in for a long and frustrating wait.

With that in mind, FEMA and the Governor’s office, with its lack of transparency, are like two peas in a pod.  Clearly changing government administrations, from Bush to Obama, (American Samoa was put on the high risk list for federal funds under the Bush Administration), has had little impact on making either organisation more accountable to the people.

So if there is any scorecard that counts,  it is not their  self-assessed ones. By and large, the citizens of American Samoa, judging by the messageboards and comments posted to their local newspaper, is deeply critical so far. And despite last week’s so-called update, Government and FEMA could give no new information on when the government’s rebuilding of homes will begin. Unless the Governor’s office can improve their public communications, and be honest and upfront with its citizens, there is little hope of an “impressive” score card from the people.

Meanwhile, tsunami survivors in American Samoa wait and wait for their homes to be rebuilt. And even to this day, the Government has yet to release an official casualty list.

We checked out the experiences of  NGOs on the ground in American Samoa. From what we have been able to find out, the verdict is the same:  the disaster emergency relief stage is far from over in American Samoa. It is not even at the rebuilding stage.

So why are FEMA and the American Samoan Government impressed about their partnership? You tell us. Not-for-profits NGOs and volunteers have outpaced their response and aid. That much is clear.

FEMA and the American Samoa Government have yet to finalise any idea of how, who,  what, and when rebuilding of people’s homes and livelihoods will begin.

Maybe FEMA and the American Samoa Government should finally acknowledge that they have no plan, never had a plan on how to respond in an emergency disaster like this. Bureaucratic red tape, with its myriad of federal processes, is not a plan.

Despite American Samoa being given millions in disaster preparedness funding since 2003, the island nation is no better for it because  those funds were not spent on what it was intended for.  Yet not one American Samoa official,  from the Governor down, has been asked to resign over its corrupt practices. It appears to be business as usual to those looking in.

But that is  a whole another sad story laced with  greed, corruption, and blatant lies (strong but accurate description) from the Governor’s Administration to pacificEyeWitness.org

Seven Weeks Later Disaster Relief Far From Over In American Samoa

As the CNN investigation revealed, very few villagers saw government officials or agencies come to help in the first two weeks.

Tomorrow, we’ll bring you the latest on the issues related to CNN investigation that found American Samoa Government lacking when it came to helping its own people.

More on that tomorrow.