AUCTION FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF – DISTRIBUTION OF MONIES RAISED
In response to the devastation caused by the tsunami that hit Samoa and Tonga last year, 69 artists from throughout New Zealand donated 85 works to an auction that took place at Webb’s auction house in Auckland on 21 October 2009. The auction, which involved live performances and featured work by some of New Zealand’s most renowned artists, raised just over $87,000.
The auction was initiated by artists and supported by Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust, who provided them with administrational and organisational help. This group of organisers were together responsible for making decisions about the distribution of the funds.
The first distribution of proceeds has just been made to Women in Business Development Inc. (WIBDI) in Samoa. The Executive Director of WIBDI, Adimaimalaga Tafuna’i says the $60,000 they have received will go towards two projects within their Livelihoods Recovery Program, which aims to help recovery and redevelopment in the tsunami-affected areas of Samoa.
‘We will buy a new vehicle to enable our staff to make visits to the affected areas every week, delivering planting materials to families, offering technical advice and conducting on going training in organic farming and the production of virgin coconut oil. We are also supporting a new soap making venture and the families involved in this will need to be monitored as well, as we will be organizing the marketing of their soap’, says Mrs. Tafuna’i.
‘Also, these funds will enable us to bring counsellors to Samoa every three months to work with WIBDI staff and with families badly traumatized by the tsunami. The work done in this area so far has been extremely successful and it will be wonderful to extend the program’.
The balance of the money will be directed to the island of Niuatoputapu, which is the main area affected by the tsunami in Tonga. Contacts have now been made with Niuatoputapu and we envisage that specific programmes that we can contribute to will be identified in the next few months.
For more information on the auction or on how the proceeds are being used to help Samoa and Tonga in the wake of the tsunami, please contact:
Christina Jeffery
Manager
Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust
PO Box 68 339, Newton, Auckland 1145
manager@tautai.org | 09 376 1665 | 021 373 402
www.tautai.org
The auction had fabulous support from these sponsors:
Webbs, Pheron, Whitespace, Geon, Coopers and Villa Maria
The following artists donated work to the auction:
Alan Preston, Anna Crawley, Bill Riley, Chris Booth, Chris Charteris, Chris Van Doren, Crighton Bone, Dagmar Dyck, Dan Taulapapa McMullen, Deborah Crowe, Delicia Sampero, Dion Hitchens, Edith Amituanai, Fa'afetai Amituana'i, Fane Flaws, Fatu Feu'u, Fiona Pardington, Fono McCarthy, Glen Jowitt, Glenn Heenan, Greg Semu, Haru Sameshima, Isabella Rasch, James McCarty, James Pinker/Mark McClean, Jason Hall, Jim Vivieaere, Jo Blogg, John Ioane, Johnny Penisula, Jon Tootill, Judy Darragh, Leafa Wilson, Leanne Clayton, Lily Laita, Lina Marsh, Lisa Reihana, Lonnie Hutchinson, Lorene Taurerewa, Loretta Young, Mark Adams, Emma McLellan, Martin Ball, Michael Hight, Michael Reed, Michael Smither, Michel Tuffery, Nanette Lela'ulu, Nathan Pohio, Niki Hastings McFall, Otis Frizzell/Mike Weston, Peata Larkin, Richard Orjis, Richard Shortland Cooper, Shane Cotton, Sheyne Tuffery, Shigeyuki Kihara, Siliga David Setoga, Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, Steve Lovett, Steven Ball, Suzanne Tamaki, Tanya Finlayson, Tom Mutch, Torika Bolatagici, Tracey Tawhiao, Tyla Vaeau, Warwick Freeman, Wilma van Heeswijk.
For more information about Women in Business see: http://www.womeninbusiness.ws/
Contact: Executive Director Adimaimalaga Tafuna'i