19 July 2024
Hon. Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio, Acting Prime Minister,
Hon. Papaliʻi Liʻo Ta’eu Masipa’u, Speaker of Parliament,
Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture,
President of Avele College school committee, Papalii Tagaloa Poloa,
Distinguished members of the School Committee,
Students, parents, principal and staff,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good Morning and Talofa Lava to you all.
It is with great honour and pleasure to represent the Government of Japan and to attend this handover ceremony for “The Project for Reconstruction of a Hall at Avele College” which was funded through a grant provided under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects (GGP).
Education is, needless to say, one of the important sectors for the socio-economic development of this country and Japan has been assisting this sector through reconstructing and upgrading school facilities and dispatching experts, particularly in the fields of science and mathematics.
I am confident that this project would offer basic means that enable your school to continue your school activities, thus ensuring that all children have equal access to education.
Today, I am delighted to see the completion of this beautiful hall, and I would like to express my gratitude to the PTA and the old pupils association for your cooperation. Without your enthusiasm and efforts this project would not have been achieved so successfully.
Before concluding my remarks, I’d like to briefly convey my message in Samoan for the students:
Fãnau ã’oga, ia avea lenei fale tele ia fa’aosofia ai se naunauta’iga ma le fiafia ia te outou, ina ia toaga e su’esu’e ma sã’ili i le faiga o tou meaã’oga. Ia outou fa’amaoni ma usita’i i tou mãtuã ma faiã’oga, auã e manuia ai tou olaga a’oa’oina i le lumanai.
Ua o’u aumaia fo’i lenei aso sina meãalofa mo outou ma le fa’amoemoega ia teuina i le tou faletusi. O tusi ‘ata nei sa tusia e lo’u faiaõ’ga sa a’oa’oina le matou vasega i le sefululua ai o o’u tausaga. Na auina mai i le agalelei o lo’u faiaõ’ga o Ms. Hiroko Hitaka, na tusi mai ou te fa’asoa atu nei tusi mo fanau aõ’ga a Samoa.
E fa tusi o lo’o tusia i gagana e lua, Iapani ma le Igilisi, ae lua tusi o lo’o tusia i le gagana Iapani. E ui lava o nei tusi o lo’o tusia mo fanau laiti, ae ia matamata i ‘ata ma faitau i le gagana Igilisi. Afai e te fiafia i ‘ata uiga ese o nei tusi, atonu e te mana’o e amata su’esu’e le gagana Iapani. Matou te fiafia e ofo atu le fesoasoani.
Talitonu o le a tou fiafia tele i nei tusi.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I sincerely hope that this new hall will be well used and maintained as a symbol of friendship between Japan and Samoa for many years to come.
Ia manuia tele le fa’aiuga o lenei kuata fa’alea’oa’oga.
Fa’afetai Lava ma Ia manuia
SOURCE – Embassy of Japan in Samoa
