This Wednesday, SVSG continued its life-skills training in the village of Falevao, where newly participating women were surprised and empowered to discover how easy it is to create products that can help them earn money to support their families. Folaalela Maavea, a 56-year-old woman from Falevao, shared how she never imagined these products could be made so easily and from inexpensive materials. She noted that shopping bags lying around at home can be repurposed to make leis to sell for extra income, and that making pork buns was much easier than she had thought, having previously only eaten or bought them from other sellers.
The SVSG NSSE (Nofotane Samoa Social Enterprise) project, funded by the European Union (EU), empowers women to become economically resilient and support their families through life-skills training. As part of the NSSE project, Nofotane women in communities are trained in skills that equip them to be innovative and self-reliant. This initiative primarily aims to minimize gender-based violence related to family finances, enabling women to support their husbands and families with daily living expenses.
The Nofotane concept has been brought to life in Samoa through SVSG’s community projects, with many women sharing testimonies of the positive impacts and successful outcomes they have experienced after joining and registering under the program.
President Siliniu Lina Chang expressed her excitement about witnessing the growth of many Nofotane women who are actively involved in the program. Some have even entered the business sector, started their own small businesses, and obtained business licenses funded through the project.
“They are now happy as they are earning money and are able to buy food for their children and families,” said Siliniu.
SVSG continues to build the capacity of local women in life skills such as elei-making, food production, handicrafts, sei-making, and much more. To mitigate the risks of violence and support vulnerable women, it is essential to help them learn these skills and develop their families economically. Life-skills trainings have been carried out in communities across both Upolu and Savai‘i.
Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) — 07 November 2025
