Samoa trip report

By D'Lainee Noonan-Brown

What do you get if you gently mix:

1360 hours of labour

30 tonnes of sand

130 tonnes of rocks

0.6Km of reo bar

2500 kg of concrete

And a dozen large bottles of beer?

A reinforced sea wall and walkway - stabilising not just homes but the sole cafe that brings income to a whole village, and a staircase.

It’s hard to explain the significance of something as seemingly simple as these steps to a community like Salei’a. For as long as Tangata Moana - the Pacific Islanders - have lived across the seas, the water has been their lifeblood. In practical terms, it is the source of their sustenance - food and trade. In modern times, it draws tourists from across the world to share in waters we see as paradise, and forms a bulk of the livelihoods for entire nations. But for Salei’a, despite being only a metre away, gazing at it every second of their days, they have been deprived of this right since the tsunami washed away any access. Their nearest sea access lies in the two private resorts they lack access to that flank their home, but this does them no good.

Now, after 15 years, thanks to the tireless work of locals and the generosity of our order, Salei’a can access their ancestral waters once more. A lone beach hut serving food with a rotted walkway now has prime access to an untouched lagoon teeming with life, and a secure concrete boardwalk. This is a boon not just economically, encouraging tourists to share in their beauty and spend time at such a special place, but on a deeper level, it helps to reconnect the villagers themselves with their home. It provides security, safety, and links to their past and paths to the future.

This was the great Buffs “steps” project we recently funded in Samoa. A delegation of Buffs and Buffesses recent travelled to the Village on Salei’a on the island of Savai’I to oversee the opening of this momentous project.

We were generously hosted by the village, and hosted like kings and queens during our visit. Pilli, the number 1 chief of the Village welcomed us, and made it very clear the impact on the lives of his people we had had. More than that, he emphasised that the Buffs will forever be welcome in this village we had helped - an enduring relationship epitomising the philanthropy that underscores our order.

On the first night of our visit we were treated to a traditional Umu, which included suckling pig.

Many friendships were built and will be maintained, in true Buff style many great yarns and jokes where shared.

The ability to see where our support has been used, and see the benefit was hugely valuable.

Dale talking the ears off a turtle