The Pacific Islands region is incredibly diverse—both ecologically and culturally—yet the indigenous populations and the fragile ecosystems they depend on are enormously threatened. Climate change, industrial logging and palm oil expansion, and lack of corporate accountability are just a few of the perpetrators.
Tackling these forces is no easy feat. With hundreds of small islands and over 500 language dialects, environmental groups must confront significant barriers to networking and information-sharing. However, with the support of traditional leadership structures and small grants, communities are coming together and taking action against social and environmental injustice.
Afeafe o Vaetoefaga Pacific Academy
Grant #: 53-512
Amount: $3,982
Country: Samoa
Focus: Water
Afeafe o Vaetoefaga Pacific Academy sought to protect the community’s drinking water source—a large freshwater pool—from being contaminated by daily activities.The organization used the small grant to build a small freshwater pool that local women can use to bathe and do laundry that is separate from the water source.t to protectethe communol that locthe water source
Countries
IslandFood Communit of PohnpeiIsland
Grant #: 52-321
Amount: $5,000
Country: Micronesia
Focus: Sustainability
A small grant to Island Food Community increased awareness about the importance of local foods for nutrition and cultural preservation. The group put on trainings at elementary schools about nutritional content and the preparation of locals food. They built a small oven (adjacent) for school use. They also hosted radio programs and put out news releases to raise awareness about the collection of native food specimens, which were used to create a pilot farm and gene bank.Grant #: 52-321
