Punialava'a will hold a concert at the end of this month and donate the proceeds to support the operations of the National Kidney Foundation of Samoa.

The decision by the band to hold a concert is in memory of their grandfather, who was a dialysis patient before he passed away.

A member of the family, Nanai Manutoipule Viellani Peteru, told the media in a press conference on Monday that the charity concert will be held at Tooa Salamasina on Friday 26 May 2023. 

He said it will be a charity concert because all the funds that are raised will go to support dialysis units operated by the N.K.F.S. 

“The concert that will take place is both a commemoration of our late grandfather and also to help out those who are dialysis victims," Nanai said. 

"The Punialava’a will donate all the money from the tickets to N.K.F.S. to help those who are dealing with this very hard non-transmitting disease.

“I was reached by the chief executive officer of N.K.F.S. and he was notified that the department needs assistance for maintenance and refurbishment of many of the units. Dialysis units that need repairs, chairs, tables, and many other objects needed by the foundation.”

Nanai said they were happy to support the N.K.F.S. and its service of providing dialysis treatment for members of the public. 

“We are proud to support the National Kidney Foundation of Samoa and their important work in providing dialysis services for our people and we encourage everyone to attend the concert and help us raise funds for this worthy cause,” he said. 

The major sponsors of the charity concert are Fiji Airways, the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (M.W.C.S.D.), TV9, and the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (M.C.I.T.).

Tickets will be sold soon with the ticket prices about to be finalised with the highest cost of SAT$2,000 for a corporate table of ten with tickets for individuals also available.

The NKFS relies on funding from the Samoa Government, patient fees, and donations from the public to fund its programs. Since 2005 the number of patients undergoing dialysis treatment has increased from 5 to 218 as of 31 March 2023. Currently, there are 30 dialysis machines in operation, catering to 193 patients.