W-CAP's founder Ali Pili is a former junior and senior high teacher (family and consumer sciences, Spanish, and English as a Second Language) for 20 years with over 30 years part-time humanitarian work experience in Chile, Mexico, Peru and Bolivia. Ali found the love of her life and moved to American Samoa to be with him nearly 7 years ago. She wanted to find a way to serve the gregarious and warm people of American Samoa, but it wasn't until the Tsunami hit in September 2009 that the lightbulb went on. It was at that time that she realized that the American welfare system had destroyed the Samoan legacy of creative and resourceful self-sufficiency and the people in one short generation had lost their abilities to do most traditional crafts, fishing, and gardening. Most people asked what they should drink when FEMA's bottled water ran out forgetting that in every yard the best source of water came on the coconut trees! Most were no longer gardening in one of the most fertile lands on earth! The day after the Tsunami, the major employer, Chicken of the Sea closed, leaving thousands of islanders without work and with few skills to find more work. With the government, as the number one employer, suffering huge cutbacks there was no place to find work and Ali began to recall her training with micro-enterprise in Latin America. She could think of no better way to help women improve their standard of living and provide hope for the future than through micro-enterprise training. Gathering talented and skilled friends from many countries and backgrounds Ali with her husband Ma'o formed Women's Community Action Program (W-CAP) in December of 2009. It is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation eligible to receive donations.
"It has been a great adventure and the Lord is opening the way for us to bless the lives of many women."
Our vision is to train local W-CAP leaders in each village so they can teach in the schools, churches and other village meeting places the principles of self-reliance to solve issues of concern in our community such as, but not limited to: disaster relief, health concerns and economic development. This will result in community self-sufficient individuals with the tools to solve community problems and concerns and thus improve the quality of life.
"It has been a great adventure and the Lord is opening the way for us to bless the lives of many women."
Our vision is to train local W-CAP leaders in each village so they can teach in the schools, churches and other village meeting places the principles of self-reliance to solve issues of concern in our community such as, but not limited to: disaster relief, health concerns and economic development. This will result in community self-sufficient individuals with the tools to solve community problems and concerns and thus improve the quality of life.