The Mapu-i-Pulotu Home for the Aged Charity Group in Savai'i is seeking financial assistance from the community to help complete the new aged care facility at Vai'a'ata, Savai'i. 

The President and members of the Logoipulotu College Old Pupils Association who are spearheading the project will be conducting a walk-a-thon on Saturday starting from Satupa'itea all the way to Palauli to raise funds for the project. 

Construction work for an aged care facility in Savai’i started last year; it will be called the "Mapu-i-Pulotu Home for the Aged".

Logoipulotu College Old Pupils Association Vice Presidents,  Pauli Mundsan Yu Hoi and Leota Kuki Retzlaff, said they believed an aged care facility was needed in Savai'i which prompted them to start fundraising for the project. 

Located at Vai'aata, where the Logoipulotu College was, the association had been raising funds for more than four years now. 

The project has also been accepted by the Catholic Church Archbishop and church leaders who have offered to provide trained nuns to staff the aged care facility.

The plans for the home includes 24 rooms, a renovated kitchen, and the renovation of the facilities at the venue. Each room will have its own bathroom. 

"Since the beginning of the project, we have been seeking advice from the people who are operating and are monitoring the Mapu-i-Fagalele Home for the Elderly. We asked them for advice and they suggested that one of the issues they had was sharing bathrooms and rooms,” Leota said. 

“So we decided that each room will have toilets and showers so that there will be no sharing."

Currently, there is no completion date set for the project.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has posed challenges to their fundraising efforts, as the project is directly funded by the membership of their Association.

"It has been tough with some of our members leaving the association and also because of the orders of the state of emergency. (But) that does not stop us from continuing this project even though we struggle financially. That is why we have kept this project low key because we did not want to make a big announcement in the beginning and then end up not finishing it,” Pauli said. 

But both said they welcome anyone or any organisation that is willing to assist.

"We welcome anyone who is willing to lend a helping hand. Whether it be beds, toilet sets, furniture, or monetary, we appreciate any help to assist us with the completion of this project,” Pauli said. 

The home is intended to be open to anyone. 

Last year, the Bank of the South Pacific (B.S.P.) made a $5,000 donation to the association to assist the project.