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This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. It’s okay – I love all of these companies anyways, and you will too! Recently we looked at applying for funding to help our students reduce the cost of attending Siva Afi Classes. I thought this would be the right category because Siva Afi is a sport like a Samoan martial art with competitions around the world. Then I was told we needed to have a registered head body and rules for...

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For many Samoans living in the diaspora—whether in Australia, New Zealand, or the United States—the idea of “going back” to Samoa isn’t only about booking a ticket and stepping off a plane. It’s a yearning. A tug at the heart that whispers during family gatherings, when you hear your parents’ accents, or when your children ask you questions about who they are. Reconnection isn’t a one-time event. It’s a lifelong journey that weaves past, present, and future together. And perhaps the most important thing to remember...

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Let’s be honest—trying to reconnect with your Samoan cultural identity can feel like you’ve been dropped into a fiafia night with zero choreography, no lava-lava, and only a vague idea of what you’re meant to do. For many diaspora Samoans, the journey is full of moments that are as humbling as they are hilarious. You mispronounce everyday words. You forget who’s related to who. You bring a pizza to lotu and get lovingly side-eyed by your aunties. But here’s the truth: culture isn’t a performance. It’s not...

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. When we think of education, many of us picture classrooms, textbooks, and formal schooling. But if you grew up in a Samoan household — or even spent time with your elders — you’ll know that learning doesn’t always come from a whiteboard or a worksheet. Sometimes, the most profound lessons are passed down at the kitchen table, in a fale during prayer time, or under a coconut tree after cleaning the yard. This is the heart of Samoan oral culture — a deeply rooted tradition of...

One of the initiatives that HRPP is proposing is a $1000 payment for newborn babies. I think this is a wonderful initiative. When I had my son Australia had a similar program where all new babies were given a set amount of money once delivered. This money helped me as a single parent to purchase a car seat, a pram and clothing. Seeing the political parties in Samoa finally understanding that they are there to serve their people and not just go and travel around the world is so satisfying for me. This is a change in the right direction.