Salt Foundation

“One of my church leaders showed me a Southern California Newspaper article that chronicled the drop out rate of Samoan high school students in California.  It was alarmingly high, in the mid- seventies (75%+) and I wanted to do something to correct this terrible phenomenon.  I wanted to put down things I felt strongly about and know will help them.  Like most worthy endeavors, it will also cost a lot to do something that will work and be impactful.  I hope someday I will have the means or access to the resources to make this a reality”.

Abstract:  Education, Athletics, and Vocation for minorities, first, by concentrating on cultural ‘core values’ and a proven support system to help youths succeed through self-esteem in finding & understanding their identity, drawing them away from gangs, drugs, and other negative influences.

The Samoan culture is over 3,000 years old and the cornerstone of SALT Foundation modus operandi.  It is still thriving today, despite the overwhelming Western and Christian influences.  Their language is intact, their extended family support system is still strong, and their core values are still the ‘center’ of their identity and being.  These are overpowering and compelling amalgamation!

A STEEL BUILDING (200’ X 400’ MAIN BUILDING to be SHAPED LIKE A ‘FALE’)

THE ‘CENTER’ OF SALT FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES

THE SALT CULTURE & METHODOLOGY

Overview

“Bringing the Samoan Community, especially the youths, to a better discernment of what makes each individual unique and special by learning and comprehending what the Samoan culture offers and mean in their lives.

 Understanding that ‘Fa’a Samoa’1 is based on the extended family and core values such as, love & compassion; service; & respect.  These are the nucleus and keys to their success in life. 

Other values such as hard work, loyalty, faith, integrity, honor, etc. not only add and strengthen the core values, but bolster and empower the extended family’s bond. The Extended Family is the greatest support system ever devised.

Understanding that it is not the quantum of blood (Samoan) that gives them their identity, but these two basic elements; the extended family support system & core values.  These are the  components that will give them the confidence and the proper tools to face and meet the challenges of life in America or anywhere else.

Relying on and using of these two elements is the corner-stone of SALT Foundation’s infrastructure to assist and support the youths with their educational, athletic, and vocational pursuits of excellence”.

GOALS

1…..To stop and turn around the high drop out rate of Samoan Students in high school, which is currently more than 75% in Southern California alone and this high drop out rate is also becoming a national problem, as reported by AP.4  To provide an after school environment that will assist students to do their home work, develop good study habits, and understand their culture, their self identity, and all the great resources available to them.

    1. Achieve a 180 decree turn around or 75% graduate rate in four to six years of  the program
    2. 90% of all Samoan ancestry students to graduate from high school on the eighth year of the program
    3. 70% of all Samoan ancestry students, who graduated from high school, to attend college by the seventh year
    4. 60% of students who attend college to graduate in four to six years, after starting
    5. 40% of all Samoan ancestry students, who are college graduates, to be in post graduate programs by the 7th yr. with a 70% success rate.

2…..Identify and Assist potential & gifted athletes and academicians to acquire college scholarships. Assist other students to be accepted into colleges.

    1. Work with their grades, SATs, ACTs, and other requirements
    2. Work with families to support athletes and academicians’ endeavors by making them understand that it is a win, win situation for them through a professional athlete career and more importantly, a college graduate with higher potential earning power.
    3. Maintain contact and be a conduit between family and college student to assure the support system is in place and working all the time. No student should be discouraged and comes home because of homesickness or discouragement.

3…..Return the youths to their roots and away from gangs and drugs through their culture and support system.  Everyone need some structure to find & understand their identity!

4…..Providing opportunities in the Entertainment Field and other vocational opportunities.

5…..Eventually providing the same opportunities to the communities at large.

The various phases listed below are to built a strong foundation first, so others can be easily be assimilated into the program (culture) and enjoy the same blessings.  Samoans and Samoan communities are in every State of the Union.  Utah will be the starting point of every project expansion in the nation.

VARIOUS PHASES of IMPLEMENTATION

PHASE I:

First to the Samoans because of their cultural core values and their extended family’s unity and support for each other.  These will be the essential units of SALT’s methods of reaching the participants and building the central theme for SALT’s programs and modus operandi.

    1. Building Self Esteem through the Fa’a Samoa1 system
      • Understanding and living the ‘Core Values’
      • How the Extended Family Works and the importance of its support
        1. Practice and live ‘core values’ and other values
          • This will strengthen family bonds, immediate andextended
      • Understanding the Samoan Culture
        1. Learn the language
        2. Participate in and learn from fa’alavelave2 and other cultural events.

PHASE II:

Second is to all the Polynesians as their cultures are similar to the Samoans and would be easier for them to understand and accept SALT’s central method of achieving success through the core values and extended family support system concept.

    1. Phase I subsection I, C (1) will not be required (optional)
    2. Phase I subsection I, C (2) is required

PHASE III:

Third will be the friends of all Polynesians, as a firm and sturdy infrastructure should be well established that will make it easier to assimilate them into the program whose cultures and back ground maybe a little more distance or remove from the basic foundation of SALT’s methods and goals.

    1. Phase I subsection I, C (1) will not be required (optional)
    2. Phase I subsection I, C (2) is Optional

PHASE IV:

The final phase will be open to everyone of, elementary, high school, and college age group who are interested and willing, the SALT program maybe the spring board to finish their education.

    1. Phase I subsection I, C (1) will not be required (optional)
    2. Phase I subsection I, C (2) is Optional

OTHER PHASES

Education is/will/should be the centerpiece and bedrock of our achievements, whether our careers are in academia, entertainment, sports, or otherwise.   Athletics is a major vehicle that will enable us to enter prestigious universities and colleges free of charge.  It can also lead to a lucrative professional career in sports.  Others who can advance to the next level, with a college degree and other professional careers will benefit from their educational pursuits.

Vocational workshop and training will be administered by accomplished, creative, and talented professionals from the entertainment industry and other fields.

Education, Athletics, and Vocation will be vital parts of all four phases listed above. Every positive endeavor starts and lead back to Education, as it opens up so many doors!

MISSION STATEMENTS & JOB DESCRIPTIONS

DEPARTMENTS

DATA

Mission;  Track and analyze (monitor) the progress of students/scholars, athletes, and the community’s perception and sentiment on/of SALT’s efforts regarding the advances and strides made by the students/scholars and athletes.  Be sensitive and responsive to the need of the scholars and athletes by being pro active to recommend solutions and remedies to correct and produce positive encouragement toward whatever the situation dictates.

CULTURE

Mission;  Using the essence of the ‘Fa’a Samoa’1, namely the extended family and its core values to inspire, encourage, and stimulate the scholars and athletes to recognize, understand, and appreciate what great resources they possess.  Using these great resources to motivate and propel them to excellence in their educational, vocational, and athletic pursuits. 

Working with families (immediate and extended) understand their important role in assisting the scholars and athletes in achieving their goals.  This support system that is inherent in the ‘Fa’a Samoa’1 is probably the greatest support system ever devised by man.  Setting up a formal structure whereby all participants can study, learn, and live the language and culture or Fa’a Samoa1.

REVENUE

Mission;  Organize, monitor, oversee, and report all revenue raising activities of SALT.  Seek and exhaust all revenue raising avenues that are available to SALT.  Keep precise, accurate, quality, and acceptable records of all revenue raising, expenses, and all other financial activities of SALT.

Recapitulation

“As East Lake Foundation and Mr. Thomas G. Cousin have proven in the Atlanta area, given an opportunity;  academic, athletic, and social success for minorities and the disadvantage are possible and a reality, not just a dream. 

Samoans have proven their prowess in the field of sports, not only nationally, but internationally. This is achieved not only from their physical strength and agility, but a dynamic and deep-rooted aptness called TENACITY.  This fearless and powerful characteristic comes from their faith in God, love, serving, and respect for their families, and the comfort and assurances of the extended family’s support.

If we can tap into this great resource and get them back to the basics, success will be greatly magnified.  Human nature is such we tend to go the extra mile and perform miraculous feats if we are doing it for someone else, forgetting ourselves.  Selfless acts and strong units, such as the core values and the extended family support, are the most powerful strategy and motivational tools on earth, especially when we wrapped them in our faith and love of Deity”.

It is a proven fact that given an opportunity, minorities and others who are disadvantage by their circumstances will rise and exceed society expectations. 

The wonderful thing about the SALT concept and methodology is that it can be adapted to any environment, culture, or society.  The values are universal and the family as a basic unit is widely practice and recognize by many cultures.  The Samoans just took it further (extended family) and recognize how important they are (values & extended family) to their existence.

The Samoan Culture is over 3,000 years old and a social one.  Singing, dancing, and hosting guests are a huge part of life from the very young to the oldest generation.  Entertainment and socializing are a big part of Fa’a Samoa!

The SALT culture and modus operandi can easily be duplicated, nationally.  The uniqueness of a Samoan Fale (main building) throughout the landscape of America can be an attractive site that will create curiosity and interest, as well as being very functional.  A Samoan village setting could be close by for cultural experiences and double as an outdoor theater for cultural entertainments and events.

An opportunity to substantiate the remarkable basic elements of this 3,000 year old culture could be the catalyst that would bring structure and self-esteem to young people’s lives.  In these unstable times, it could be the medicine that is life changing and have the young people turn to education and other positive elements versus drugs, gangs, and other unpleasant alternative.

SALT Foundation is the next step up from the highly successful East Lake Foundation.

Epilogue

Someone once said;  “There are really no new ideas, just new ways to present old ideas.”  It is also important to note that redundancy is not necessarily a negative, but an opportunity and a window to discover and refine that ‘million-dollar idea’ that will change the world.

There are divers program that have been promoted and implemented, some very successfully, to assist youths with their educational pursuits.  Others to keep them away from drugs, gangs, and other negative phenomenon that have plague our society for generations.

Motivation is the great agency that will stimulate us to change and to move forward, positively.  Personal growth and structure will give us the impetus to move onward and upward by staying motivated.  Understanding our identity, practicing good values, and having a good support system will give us the foundation to ground it out during adversity by staying motivated.

Amalgamation of all these activities is the key component for success on several levels with education as the centerpiece.  Education brings the greatest Hope and as long as there is Hope there is always a chance for positive change.  Hope eliminates despair, for despair kills ambition.

There is a cure and a solution to all of the various life challenges in life, niche remedies can assist in solving most of life’s problems.  The goal is to have a niche program that, eventually, can/will reach the mass and still have a high rate of successful results. 

A village setting next to the main building will give the youth an opportunity and a setting to practice the culture and its values of service, respect, hard work etc. through a vehicle called ‘fa’alavelave’2 which should bring structure.  These facilities are very important to Samoans because their culture is oral.  They do and learn things by seeing, touching, and feeling.  Facilities for classrooms, sports training, and vocational pursuits will bring them personal growth and perpetual motivation.  Feeling good about themselves and being grounded of who they are (self-esteem and identity) will give them the foundation to endure the hard times and work through adversity.

What makes SALT Foundation’s approach unique is the combining of the old with the new nuances.  Using a 3,000 year old culture’s framework and merge them with today’s methodology to develop a game plan that will not only work, but have the staying power to empower today’s youths.  A good, sensitive, and strong program will develop people that will contribute to unify society in a positive manner.

It is the intention of SALT Foundation to utilize all the positive elements of a 3,000 year-old culture and merge them with today’s technology and methodology as the nucleus to meet the needs of today’s youths to reach their full potential.  Having proper facilities and the right curriculum will greatly increase the probability of success.  SUCCEEDING SHOULD BE A MIND SET AND A WAY OF LIFE, NOT AN OPTION!!!

Notes:

1Fa’a Samoa;  The Samoan Way.  Way things are done where-ever Samoans gather.

2Fa’alavelave;  Any occasion (weddings, funeral, graduation, etc.) that puts the Fa’a Samoa and Aganu’u in motion.  The Chiefs control and dictates the flow and outcome of the events, while untitled men and unmarried young women serve, and everyone having good time visiting with extended families and friends.

3Aganu’u;   Culture, which is oral and relies mostly on Fa’alavelave, as the main vehicle, to perpetuate its existence by youths learning through seeing, touching, hearing, and participating by means of serving others.

4Associated Press Release;  April 01, 2008…High School Graduation Rates Plummet Below 50 Percent in some U.S. Cities

“Associated Press Release ;  October 23, 2008…Report:  Kids Less Likely to Graduate than their Parents (USATODAY)

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