Arts Fest organizers are looking for hundreds of volunteers
by Tina Mata'afa
Samoa News Writer
The 10th Festival of the Pacific Arts is looking for 400 to 500 volunteers to assist with hosting the festival that will bring an estimated 3,000 plus visitors to American Samoa in July.
After collecting about 200 applications from the college last week, the Personnel Committee collected an additional 100 applications during a sign-up at the Executive Office Building in Utulei.
"During our volunteer drive we are asking our people to come out and be volunteers for the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts," said Personnel Committee chair Niuaulama E. Taifane. "Of course, there is no pay but the rewards are intrinsic."
The committee is seeking volunteer bus drivers, housekeepers, security, liaison officers, MIS technicians and French and Spanish language interpreters.
The committee is stepping up efforts to recruit as many volunteer applicants as possible before the deadline, Jan. 31, 2008.
Taifane, who is executive director of the Amerika Samoa Humanities Council, said it will be a great opportunity for people to meet new people, share one's culture and learn about new cultures.
The first two weeks of February, all applicants will be screened and interviewed. Selected applicants will be contacted and required to undergo training in the five months to follow.
The committee is working closely with the Department of Education in hopes of securing the best school bus drivers available and school teachers for liaison officers.
Bus drivers need not worry about vehicles but Taifane said they want bus drivers who are reliable and punctual.
School teachers, who will be on summer vacation when the fest opens July 20, are being asked to volunteer as liaison officers. The position, said Taifane, is "exciting" as liaison officers will be the primary sources of information for visiting delegations.
Liaison officers must be equipped with a basic knowledge of geography, local government, Samoan culture and American Samoa history. A key responsibility will be communicating information between the organizing committee and visitors.
Housekeepers will be responsible for maintaining living quarters for the visitors and performance venues including the Veterans Stadium, Utulei Beach, the Fale Laumei, the Samoana High School campus and the Fagatogo pavilion.
"We really want litter free grounds during the weeks American Samoa will host the fest," Taifane said. "Housekeepers will also be responsible for preparing performance sites for activities and cleaning afterwards."
She is encouraging all organizations and village groups to get in on volunteering to clean these areas, especially villages in which performances will be held such as Utulei, Fagatogo and the Tafuna area. The senior citizen community is also being asked to sign up as housekeeping volunteers.
The public is responding well to the call for volunteers and several village aumaga have already offered their help, said Taifane.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), which founded the fest in 1972 - members of which have recently been on on-island - will be here in April to assist the personnel committee with training volunteers, including VIP liaisons and VIP drivers for the dignitaries who will be leading their delegations to the arts festival.
Volunteer applications are available at the Amerika Samoa Humanities Council office above the post office in Fagatogo and the Office of the 10th Festival of the Pacific Arts on the second floor of Fagatogo Square.
Government department heads will also receive applications to disperse to employees in their respective agencies. More applications will soon be made available at Carl's Jr., KFC and McDonald's.
Sign- Up Deadline is scheduled for January 31.
For more information, please call the Festival office at 633-3110, 633-3111 or 633-3112.
Reach the reporter at tina@samoanews.com
© Osini Faleatasi Inc. dba Samoa News reserves all rights. |
