Benjamin is a student at Loto Taumafai School at Vaitele and has been involved with the Special Olympics Samoa program over the past 3 years. As an athlete, Benjamin benefitted from the sports and leadership experiences Special Olympics Samoa has provided. He is very excited to continue his Special Olympics journey and grow the Unified Generation.

Ituau is a 17-year-old from Samoa. She is a student who attends Loto Taumafai School at Vaitele and has had the opportunity to play with other athletes and Unified partners through her school. She got involved with the Special Olympics movement over the past 4 years and is proud to be a Youth Leader because she gets to work with other leaders and learn from them.
Benjamin and Ituau noticed a lack of sufficient resources available in schools for children pursuing an education. All too often, after the primary school or some college, some of these children with and/or without intellectual disabilities have no other opportunities to access education at their level and have no option to further their studies. These Youth Leaders hope to find a solution to the education crisis in their community so that no more young people are without access to an education that fits their needs.
Through their project, Benjamin and Ituau would acquire educational materials to create a literacy and reading library. They want to encourage more young people to learn to read as it is a life skill that will support anyone in their future endeavors.
Benjamin and Ituau hope to increase the skills and knowledge of their athletes and inspire them to take initiative to advocate for education for persons with/without intellectual disabilities. They also hope to encourage young people who participate in their project to make use of the educational materials they compile and work on their own literacy and personal development.