Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Eleven-year-old Malakai Seva’aetasi (middle) holding his scholarship award presented last Saturday by US-based One Global Family Foundation (OGFF) co-founder, Laura Lafoia Ava Tesimale (far right), and her daughter Brittany (far left) last Saturday at Lions Park during the Rotary Club of Pago Pago and Hawaiian Airlines’ 10th anniversary memorial service of the deadly earthquake/tsunami.

Also pictured is Malaka’i grandmother (second from left) and First Lady Cynthia Malala Moliga (second from right).

Malakai’s mother Sabrina was one of the 34 people who died in the Sept. 29, 2009 tsunami. “I want you to go to college,” Tesimale told Malakai, the youngest recipient who was awarded a $300 scholarship.

Tesimale has been attending the annual memorial event to award scholarships to local students, whose parents or relatives were tsunami victims both in American Samoa and neighboring Samoa. She and her daughter depart today for the independent state.

It was announced at the ceremony that this is the final year for the Rotary Club/Hawaiian Air event.

“While this is the final memorial program, it will not be the last of our scholarships,” Tesimale told those in attendance. “We feel that the best way for our children to honor their family is to be successful in all aspects of their lives, to carry on the spirit and the legacy of their loved ones that have passed away in the tsunami,” she said. “Our wish for all of our children is to be happy and well-balanced in their heart, mind, body, and spirit.”

She continued, “We want them to know that they are loved beyond measure, and that they can achieve anything they are wiling to work hard for. We encourage each child to always put God first — Muamua le Atua. That is the secret to success.”

Samoa News will report later this week on other scholarship recipients. Information on global work carried out by OGFF can be found at <www.oneglobalfamilyfoundation.org> as well as its Facebook page.