A group run by young local leaders, called Brown Girl Woke (B.G.W),  is on a mission.

Last year in December when the organization donated $5,000 to the Asa Foundation’s Measles Samoa Fund Appeal to give back to families affected by the epidemic, they vowed that more donations were to follow.

This week, they delivered on that promise. It includes a trip to the big island of Savaii to give out goods to families who have lost loved ones to the measles epidemic.

Founder of Brown Girl Woke, Maluselu Doris Tulifau, said they are delighted to help.

“The mission to give to Savai'i is because we know they need aid,” she responded to questions by this newspaper.

“We have received emails from families in Savai'i and four of our members are living in Savai'i and have been our people on the ground to make sure we can come and give to clinics and hospitals.

“We also received emails from families that lost a child to measles and asked help.”

Maluselu said their mission is to "make a difference.”

The delay in the distribution and delivering the goods for families in Savai'i was due to the longer process they had to go through in shipping their goods from overseas to Samoa.

“Because the state of emergency is done, we have to go through a much longer process to clear everything.

“So the goods came in on Monday but we have to go through Customs and the Ministry of Revenue to clear everything and have it brought to Savai'i. We are aiming for Friday this week (to distribute the goods)."

So what are they giving out?

“We will meet three families and we will present them with monetary donations, diapers and formula.

“Our donations of medical supplies should be enough to help a lot of families, a lot of it is for kids.

“We received a lot of donations from America, our pallets came from L.A and Utah. We are going to donate two pallets of donations to two clinics and hospital.

“Each family will get $300 tala, box of diapers, case of formula, hand sanitisers, masks, vitamin a and c.

“Hospitals will get cases of masks, gloves, medical supplies for children, hospital gowns, exam table covers, cleaning wipes and hand sanitizers.”

Lastly, Maluselu said the measles epidemic in Samoa has united every Samoan here and abroad to help and give back something to those who were affected. She found this inspirational.

“This is a time where we need everyone to come together and help,” she said.

“And I feel that everyone has. This was the first time I felt that everyone from around the world to here locally, we put our differences to the side and made sure to help a neighbour.”