Samoan Community Starts Up in Port Vila

Written by Mathew Lemisio
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Sala Perive Tanuvasa Lene (middle) pictured here with Seiuli Alvin Tuala (far right), Toleafoa Douglas (3rd from left), James Campell (2nd from left) and others Mr and Mrs Faerua enjoying the toana’i. A very special occasion took place yesterday (Saturday Samoan time) at the University of the South Pacific’s Emalus Campus in Port Vila Vanuatu. It was an occasion to mark the first time ever that the Samoan people living and working around Port Vila get together with members of the Emalus Samoan Students Association (E.S.S.A) to celebrate the birth of an official Samoan community in the archipelago islands. ESSA members dishing out the toana’i. As the number of Samoans, including those with Samoan heritage, in Vanuatu continues to increase, it was only fitting that such an occasion must be celebrated. And celebrate they did in. The newly formed community held a brief church service under the guidance of former head of the Samoa Polytechnic Sala Perive Tanuvasa Lene, together with the presence of Seiuli Alvin Tuala and his family, Toleafoa Douglas, Operation Manager at Digicel Vanuatu and his wife, Jonah and Apele and their family, Authur and Janet Faerua and their family Mr Collin and his wife (Australia), Mr James Campell (New Zealand Samoan) and his wife plus all ESSA members. During the service, Sala who gave a motivating speech encouraged the students and the gathering to try and take control of events and challenges that they face in their lives. “It’s very important how you react to a certain event,” he said, after he told a story about how one of his days while working in Samoa was spoiled simply because his little daughter spilled coffee on his working shirt. “If I hadn’t reacted the way I did that morning, my day would have been different,” he said before reemphasising the importance of taking control of events that sometimes you can’t control. ESSA President, Wendy Pogi said a Samoan community in Port Vila was long overdue. She said students were grateful to those who initiated the idea. “We are very thankful,” Ms Pogi said. After the church service, ESSA members provided a couple of traditional items before a traditional toana’i, provided by the community members was served. From then on, students got to mingle with members of the community and their families. According to some students, yesterday’s occasion made them feel like they’re back home with their families again. “It’s always hard to be away from families and love ones but these sort of occasions can actually help ease homesickness,” second year student Pose Toma remarked. Mr Toma, on behalf of ESSA had the last chance to once again thank the community members for initiating the idea (establishing the Samoan community) and most importantly in the life of any uni student providing a perfect lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Seiuli in return wished the students the best of lucks in their studies. He also assured that the Samoan community members will be assisting out in whatever way they could towards ESSA. From us all here in Emalus, we all send our love to our families and friends back home. We are all doing OK enjoying both school work and some rare social activities Port Vila is offering us. Remember us all in your prayers as we are about to embark on the last half of this semester. You will hear from us again very soon. From ESSA members and the Samoan community here in Port Vila we say tofa soifua. Comments (3) Subscribe to this comment's feed OK enjoying both school work and some rare social written by FIL, September 10, 2008 sole this should be the title of this article man.."Ok enjoying both school work and some rare social activities"... hehehe... I was cracked up and out reading that particular part of the above article guys, sure sounds RARE to me man ..especially when its coming from an asosi who RARELY enjoy social activities...poor peeps.. my humble advice then- enough studying and praying but go out and have social activities guys ! or is it the other way around.. lol chooooooooooo nice one man, again sounds rare to our ears here in Hamo...lol kalofa e ... ia ogosai man... all the best of lucks with the asosi activities and the school work... Nice edition by the way and all the best of lucks with the studies God Bless str RARE ALRIGHT* written by makahyo, September 13, 2008 FIL you sounded llike you know and feel where those poor students are coming from so why surprising....lol..am glad to know that you'll remember them poor kids in your prayers.. OA rare!!! written by emalustamtam..., September 16, 2008 sole FIL, oa rare social activites... sole man magakua mai makou pea kou o mai i se fogo... u no... da muni n da fud.... :L:L:L:L sole o FIL o le sifi o le fai social activities.....:L:L:L as a Spartan king said: REMEMBER US,:L:L:L Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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