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FEA day I will never forget.
Barefoot. Clothed in the fullness of Samoa. Seated on a fala (mat), in conversation ‘talanoa’ about an issue that has crippled far too many of our Pacific Island communities.
We were intentional. We wanted our presentation to reflect Samoa, our values, our vā, our way of dialogue while paying deep respect to the traditional custodians of the land we stood on. It was about being heard in a way that honoured both where we come from 🇼🇸 and where we were 🇫🇯
This day was a poignant reminder that our Pacific culture is our framework, our strength, Our solution.
Today, as I sat with key stakeholders discussing the very same challenges I spoke about on the Miss Pacific Islands pageant stage, my mind travelled back to that moment on the mat. I thought about the courage it took to speak, and how just minutes before I was on the verge of a breakdown, I thought about my elders who were present, who gave me strength and my ancestors whose wisdom carried me. And I realised impact sometimes begins quietly, barefoot, in truth.
It begins when we choose our Pacific ways, not just in big rooms, but in our homes, our villages, and our everyday decisions. The way we listen before we speak. The way we protect the vā. The way we carry each other perhaps not always perfectly, but united for the good of our people.
Puletasi : @quen_sam25
Makeup : @tjlaveaa
Hair : @bridalhairbyjuju
Sei fulumoa , Lopa jewellery set : Fugalei Market
@feagaimaaliisoti
