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In the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, the country’s youth generally face the same challenges as their global counterparts in the areas of education, employment and relationships. However, Samoa’s geographic location renders the nation’s young people particularly vulnerable to additional stresses shared by citizens of other small island developing states. These include remoteness and isolation, income volatility, limited income diversification, and susceptibility to natural disasters.1
To address these issues, the Government of Samoa with the support of the UN system
developed the TALAVOU programme, which stands |
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Photo courtesy of TALAVOU
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| for Towards A Legacy of Achievement, Versatility and Opportunity through Unity. Administered by the country’s Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD), the TALAVOU programme is carrying out various youth development activities, including the creation of a centralized youth database in DevInfo format to better monitor
and assess the needs of the country’s youth. |
MWCSD staff had previously learned about DevInfo through their work on a regional child protection database for the Pacific Island region. Having understood the capabilities of this UN-endorsed database system, they decided that DevInfo could also serve as an excellent fit for TALAVOU’s programme needs.
MWCSD proceeded to organize a nine-day training workshop in June 2011, where agency staff were trained in the development, use and management of a DevInfo database in support of TALAVOU programme objectives. One of the key outcomes of the workshop was learning how to take data collected from the agency’s youth questionnaires and directly upload it into the DevInfo database system.
Another key outcome was the development of a prototype TALAVOU centralized youth database containing indicators to monitor progress towards the eight priority areas of the Samoa National Youth Policy 2011 – 2015: Education and Training, Health, Employment, Law and Justice, Environment, Recreation, Community and Cultural Values, and Spiritual Development. When finalized, this youth database will support efforts to ensure improvement of the general well-being of the nation’s youth. |
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Youth literacy by age, Samoa, 2006
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With DevInfo supporting national efforts to monitor the needs of young people, the Government of Samoa stands to be much better positioned to foster healthy development and growth for all the country’s youth. |
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Data making a difference. |
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For more information on DevInfo in the Division of Youth, Samoa, please contact Ms. Seletuta Pita, Assistant CEO for the Division of Youth, of Women, Community and Social Development at seletuta.pita@gmail.com.
1 T.A.L.A.V.O.U. – Samoa Joint Young People’s Programme document, Government of Samoa and United Nations System, 6 April 2006, p. 1, accessed at
http://www.undp.org.ws/Portals/12/What%20We%20do/
Climate%20change%20and%20environment%20energy/
SAM-TALAVOU/
Talavou_Final_Prodoc.pdf
on 26 July 2011.
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