NOAH IN SAMOA

Talofa! (That’s “Hi” in Samoan).

My name’s Noah from Class 5B. Recently, I travelled to Samoa, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean close to Fiji, to volunteer at a primary school with my father, 3 cousins (from MLC Primary School) and their parents. We went through an organisation called Projects Abroad.

We arrived at Apia International airport on the 13th of May. For the next 7 days we lived in a Homestay owned by a local family. This was one of the ways we learned about the lifestyle and culture of the nation. The host, Tavai, cooked us traditional meals including Taro – you’d be surprised at how many different ways you can cook this vegetable! We saw how they lived in a much simpler environment, but they were happy – I think we can all learn from that. We also met other volunteers/families from Switzerland and Germany who stayed at Tavai’s house to volunteer in Samoa.

We worked at a primary school called St Peters Chanel Catholic School. The school was located in the green mountain ranges around the capital city Apia. It was beautiful. There were 73 students in Years 1-8 in this school. They were very friendly, fun loving children. They were very welcoming to my cousins and I. Our aim was:

1. To paint a mural in the school library
2. To build veggie patches and vertical gardens

The library was just an empty room and looked unappealing. We wanted to make it more inviting for the children so they would spend time there and learn. The mural was over 3m long and took us three days to finish. My cousins and I designed and painted it. It was based on one of the famous books by Doctor Seuss, The Lorax, but it also included characters from Fox in Sox and The Grinch. We also included inspiring messages like “Believe in Yourself”, “Learning is Fun” and “Be a Fearless Thinker” in the mural. When it was finished, we explained the mural to each of the classes one by one. I was a bit nervous speaking in front of the children but it was alright.

My cousins and I also helped the adult volunteers build the veggie patches and vertical gardens out of recycled timber. We planted basil, chinese broccoli and lettuce which the school children will keep growing. They will use the veggies in their lunches. The veggie patches will also be used by the teachers in their lessons about healthy eating, botany and environmentalism.

I also read story books to some of the younger classes and my father taught classes about hygiene and healthy lifestyles for children. The school and principal, Mrs Loa, were really excited because we brought 150 kg of supplies donated from Australia. This included lots of sporting equipment generously donated by Newington College like rugby balls, basketballs, tennis balls and softball equipment. Thank you Newington! St Peters was extremely grateful, as they had none of these things which are very expensive in Samoa. They were especially grateful for the rugby balls because they play rugby a lot!

We were interviewed by a journalist who wrote about us in the local newspaper, The Samoa Observer. You can search me up on the internet – there’s a photo of me in my Newington hat!

The most memorable moment for me was the farewell assembly and reading the thank you card written by the students because they were very touching words.

I think the donations and our work will help the school grow a sense of independence. The school will buy less food because they’re growing some of their own supplies. Now the school has reading books and lots more stationery, and a library that is a more appealing place. The children might think it is better to read there and it will be a nicer work space for everyone.

From this trip, I learned that if you have the ability to help someone or something, then you should try. I also learned that you can contribute to something that doesn’t just help you.

Tofa! (Goodbye)

From Noah