The Chairman of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, Reverend Esera Auatama Esera, Faletua Tamara Esera and the congregation at CCCS Sapapalii have welcomed the Samoa Victim Support Group on Sunday afternoon, to continue the sustained community dialogue on child protection.
The CCCS congregation at Sapapalii is now into its second session of workshops on Positive Discipline Parenting and Life Skills for Adolescent, as part of the ongoing community prevention work by the SVSG in partnership with the UNICEF Pacific.
During this second session, parents from Sapapali’i had the opportunity to self-reflect on the importance of building a good and healthy relationship with their children. The adolescents on the other hand, continued to learn on building their life skills, mainly understanding the “negative effects of alcohol, drugs and peer pressure” on their daily lives.
SVSG’s Community Team observed a significant shift in engagement between the first and second sessions from the Sapapali’i participants. Parents have become more engaged, sharing insights from their personal experiences during their discussions. The adolescents on the other hand learnt about respectful relations, prevention of intrepersonal violence, drugs & alchohol and peer pressure.
Most notable was an open dialogue amongst the adolescents on the importance of fostering positive relationships among themselves, and the increase in number of drugs and alcohol related cases reported by Police, involving youth, adolescents, and in some cases, the children. The environment at the church where the workshop was held, contributed to the adolescents open dialogue, as it provided the young ones with a safe space where they felt comfortable sharing their challenges and struggles. By doing so, they believe they can collectively support one another in overcoming these difficulties, rather than passing judgment on each other.
The parents’ session, with a focus on providing warmth and stability in a child upbringing, was intense. The team delved into breaking barriers between parents and their children’s relationships. Project Manager Papali’i Ene encouraged parents to engage in open discussions with adolescents and actively participate in their children’s upbringing, rather than relying solely on external sources for education. A participating parent shared, “These programs are crucial in changing my relationship with my children. The usual harsh discipline and punishment shouldn’t be the only way to raise kids these days. This program helps me be more open in conversation and more patient with my children.”
It is important for the parents to break this generational cycle of harsh discipline on children as a normal upbringing. “The change starts with them; we do not need to smack or speak harsh words to discipline our children. Practicing positive parenting helps them build relationships that will have a positive impact on both the parent and children’s lives.” SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang explained.
Sapapali’i, a community actively involved in SVSG programs, has witnessed significant changes in their family dynamics. The village & church leaders commend the efforts of SVSG & UNICEF in providing these community outreach programs, that will help them build a positive and safe environment for the children. One of the highlights of the prevention programs by SVSG at Sapapalii, was the role of the church as community change agents. This is important given the church’s crucial role in the spiritual life of our people.
“The Community Child Protection Program in Samoa was piloted by the SVSG and the UNICEF Pacific in 2020 and is now being scaled up to include more villages and colleges. The collaborative effort is very important as it aims to safeguard children and promote their well-being through supporting both the parents and the adolescents.” Siliniu Lina Chang.
Fa’aliliuina i le gagana Samoa
Taliaina i se fa’atasiga fa’aso’oso’o tau’au se mafutaga a le ekalesia EFKS i Sapapali’i ma le sosaiete o sulufaiga o tagata mafatia (SVSG) i le aoauli o le aso Sa.
O le fa’asoa lona lua lea na faia i le EFKS i Sapapali’i, o se fa’asologa o toe fa’afouina o auala i le fausiaina o se matua lelei, e poto ma atamai e faufautua tagata talavou atoa ai ma le a’oa’oina o auala e a’oa’oina lelei ai fanau e saogalemu mo i latou ma aiga. O galuega nei ua faia aua le puipuiga o nu’u ma aiga mai sauaga ua fa’atinoina lea e le SVSG i se latou tausoga fa’apa’aga ma le UNICEF Pasifika.
I le vaega lona lua lenei, na fa’alauteleina ai i matua o Sapapali’i avanoa e mafaufau toto’a ai, i le fauina lea o ni mafutaga lelei ma soifua maloloina lelei ma o latou fanau. O tagata talavou i lea aso, na a’oa’oina i le atina’eina lea o poto laua’itele ma le mafaufau mata’ala, ae maise o le iloa lea o le leaga o le ava malosi, fuala’au fa’asāina ma fa’aoso’osoga valea fa’aleuo.
Na maitauina e le vaega mai i le SVSG, se suiga lelei o feso’ota’iga o matua ma fanau, o se taunu’uga lelei mai i le latou fa’asoa muamua na faia, aemaise i le vaega lona lua lenei mai i aiga mai i Sapapali’i. Ua vaaia mātua ua fa’asoa mai o latou lagona tu’utotonu, o mea na tutupu i’a i latou. O tagata talavou, ua a’oa’oina i latou i le va lelei ma isi, aveeseina o le mafaufau fiafa’amisa, atoa ai ma le poto i le fa’aaogaina o ava malosi, fuala’au fa’asaina, ae le gata i lena, o fa’aosoosoga valea fa’auo.
O le tatalaina o le malae o fa’asoa eseese, i tagata talavou na mafai ai ona fausiaina ni feso’ota’iga filemu ma lelei i va ma isi, ma le poto lea e malamalama ai i le tele o fa’afitauli, ona o le fa’aaogaina o ava malosi ma fuala’au fa’saina e pei ona tele ai ni moliaga ua faia e leoleo o tagata talavou aemaise fanau laiti. I le si’osi’omaga o totonu o le ekalesia, i lea mafutaga fa’asoa na matagofie tele, ma filemu, na mafai ai ona fesoasoani lea i le fa’alauteleina o lagona lelei ma finagalo na mafai ai ona fa’asoa mai ai le to’atele o e na auai, ma tauina lautele o latou mafatiaga fa’aletagata. O se amataga o se mafutaga e fausia ai se so’otaga māfana o se nu’u ma aveesea ai amioga e sau mai i loto eleleela.
Mo matua, sa a’oa’oina auala e mafai ona fa’aaogaina e se tausiga lelei o fanau, sa matu’a mata’utia le fa’alauteleina o manatu. Na matu’a fa’ato’ato’a lelei e le vaega a le SVSG le fa’asoaina o auala e talepe ai i lalo pa puipui ua taofia se va lelei o matua ma fanau. Na fautua atu le ta’ita’i o le polokalame o Papali’i Ene i matua, ia tatalaina avanoa ma fanau talavou e talanoa lelei ai. Ma ia fa’amaete e matua le fauina o olaga o ana talavou, ma le tausiaina lelei o i latou i le aiga, ae le na o le fa’amoemoe lea e faia mai i fafo o le aiga le a’oa’oga o fanau.
I se fa’amatalaga a se tasi o matua, na fa’apea mai ai, “O nei polokalame ua tāua tele mo le suiga o la’u mafaufau tuai i le mafutaga lea ma la’u fanau. O auala mamafa ua masani ai matou o matua i le fasi’ina ma le fautuaina o fanau i ni auala malolosi ma leo sauā ma ua iloa nei auala e tatau ona fa’aaogaina. O lenei polokalame ua ou a’oa’oina manatu fou sa lafi na e tatau ona ou fa’aaogina e feso’ota’i atu ai ma a’oa’o e talanoa lelei i fanau.”
E tatau lava i matua ona fa’amuta nei auala sauā e fa’aaogaina i le tausiga o fanau. “O le suiga e amata i mātua ma le aiga; e leai se mafua’aga o le sasa fua o tamaiti, po’o se so’ona lafo iai o tala malolosi. O le taumafai e fa’ata’ita’i auala lelei i le fautuaina o fanau i le filemu, e mafai ona fauina ai va lelei o matua ma fanau,” saunoa ai le Peresitene SVSG Siliniu Lina Chang.
O Sapapali’i, o se afioaga ua matu’a māfana le mafutaga ma le SVSG ma a latou polokalame. Ma ua va’aia suiga lelei i le afioaga. E fa’afetaia ai e ta’ta’i o le ekalesia ma le nu’u le polokalame i pa’aga a SVSG ma le UNICEF mo nei feso’otaiga ma nu’u ma fa’asoa lelei ua mafai ai ona faufau le atina’eina o se va lelei ma se nofoaga filemu mo fanau i aiga. O se vaega taua o nei polokalame o le lagolago malosi o le ekalesia, o se auala lelei lea e fa’aui atu ai nei polokalame aogā, aemaise o le galuega a le ekalesia mo le fa’aleleiina o olaga a fanau a le Atua.
“O le polokalame mo le puipuiga o fanau i nu’u i Samoa na tauaveina mai e le SVSG ma le UNICEF pasifika i le 2020, ma ua mafai nei ona fa’alauteleina atu mo le tele o nu’u ma aoga. E tāua tele lenei pa’aga, aua o lo’o faufau ai pea le saogalemu o fanau ma fa’alauteleina ai pea auala mo le latou puipuiga lelei mai i le lagolago atu lea i matua ma fanau talavou,” Siliniu Lina Chang.