by Fa'aiu Filipo Pisi
APIA: November 6,2009: SamoaTel has introduced a new direction to drive support and development for Samoan women through an innovative partnership with the Fa'alapotopotoga Atina'e o Komiti Tumama o Samoa (FAKTS) - the Women's Committees.
This initiative has come through numerous consultations between SamoaTel and the office bearers of FAKTS. The partnership is based on an affinity plan introduced by SamoaTel to all the individual Village Komitis through the organisations head Office.
SamoaTel and FAKTS- Affinity Plan: The plan is designed to generate on going revenue stream for FAKTS to enable them to rollout a calendar of projects. The project involves consultations with local Village Komitis facilitated by the FAKTS head office. The individual Village Komitis have opportunity to become resellers of the SamoaTel products and earn commission. 
The FAKTS head office facilitates the communication channel between SamoaTel and local Village Komitis and will earn revenue from the support individual members give to SamoaTel. This based on the rebate structure agreed upon by Samoatel and FAKTS office bearers.
The Partnership Agreement, which has no time limit, was signed by the President of FAKTS, Tafafuna’i Tavai Anapu and SamoaTel Limited's Marketing Manager, Mahendra Mahimkar.
"This partnership is a much needed helping hand for FAKTS. Being one of the oldest women committees in the country we have been working with the community on projects like “Mother and Baby Health”, Importance of Cleanliness and General social well being,” said Tafafuna’i Tavai Anapu.
”We have been doing this for decades through the strength of sisterhood amongst the women of Samoa and we are grateful that a Corporate like SamoaTel has identified the importance of this sisterhood. They have initiated this affinity plan to deliver an ongoing support for FAKTS," Tafafuna’i further added.
Mahendra Mahimkar, said,”SamoaTel being one of the leading corporate citizens of Samoa is always exploring opportunities to deliver sustainable community activities so as to give back to the community.
"This is a partnership that will transcend the boundaries of time and will evolve continuously to deliver
development projects that will drive community initiatives.
”We have realized the strength and sustainability of this sisterhood, thus this partnership has been forged with one of the oldest women’s organization in Samoa," Mahendra further added.
Long & Proven History: Womens Committees in Samoa have a long history with its origins dating back to the 1920s and had since developed to be the most effective way to channel and implement projects in the grassroots level in all fields including continuing education, sanitation, childcare and public health, immunization campaigns, agriculture & fisheries, environment and many other fields.