(11 FEPUARI 2025, 9.00AM)
Susu lau susuga i le Taitai o le sauniga, Susuga Iese Uele
Afifio Minisita o le Kapeneta,
Sui o Pa’aga mai Fafo
Taitai o ekalesia ma afio’aga,
Mamalu o le auvala’aulia,
Talofa Lava.
O lea ua nofo ilo le sā taumua lasi o le Aiga Salevalasi; a ua se’e malū foi le sā o le Tagaloa Safune na momo’o iai Faleata, ina ua tatou soa fa’atasi le papa o le pulu lauie na i le Alataua. Ae ou te le’i suatia la le matā fanua ma ou lalaga le tafu’e o ulufau lē agaiā. Ou te mua’i ta’ia le tāfala o matematega o le faleao o tupu, auā e popo’e tele i lo matou solisoli o malae fa’apea tupua ma la’oai, a’o se’e tauloa le maualuga o lo outou fitā taupale i lenei taeao.
O le taeao lenei, ua tatou aofaga potopoto e fa’amausalī la tatou maliega autasi, e lagolago le fa’avae mo le ola ma le lumanai o tatou fanau iti. O le tatala aloaiaina o le “Fa’atonufolau mo le Tapu’eina o Olaga Amata o Fanau”, o le togo a’e lea o se taeao fou mo Samoa. O se galuega ua fa’atinoina, e fausia ai le fa’avae mausalī o le ono tausaga muamua o le soifuaga o tama ma teine itiiti, ina ia manuia le lumanai mo tagatanu’u, aiga, ekalesia ma le atunu’u.
O se tasi o fa’amuamua o le Ta’iala mo le Lumana’i Manuia o Samoa 2021 – 2026, o le atina’eina lea o tomai ma agava’a o tatou tagatanu’u – e aofia ai le fa’aitiitia o le mativa ma le lē tagolima, o le maua o avanoa tutusa mo i latou o lo’o ma’al’ale le soifua lautele, aemaise o le una’ia ina ia mafai ona maua agava’a e atinae o latou tamali’iaga. O le asō, o le afuaga lea o le fa’afaileleina o le ola manuia o fanau.
O mau fa’asaienisi ma fa’a-le-aganu’u, o le si’osi’omaga e amata ai le ola a’oa’oina o a tatou fanau, o le si’osi’omaga lena e fa’afailele ma tapena ai lona lumanai. E tusa ai ma fa’amaumauga, o le valusefulu pasene o le atina’eina o le mafaufau o se tama poo se teine itiiti, e tupu i totonu o le lima tausaga muamua o lona soifua.
O le taimi lea e tatau ai ona atina’e ma fa’afailele le lumana’i o le fanau, ae le i o’o atu i le isi la’asaga tau a’oa’oga. O lona uiga, e le tatau ona tatou fa’atalale i le taimi amata lea o le tapu’eina o le olaga o le fanau.
O le taimi nei, o nisi nei o fa’amaumauga o lo’o feagai ma tatou ma e manaomia ai se galuega fa’aleleia:
• Mai le to’afa o fanau ua atoa le fa tausaga le matutua, e na o le tasi o lo’o resitalaina i aoga amata.
• E to’atele fanau e le o lelei le tausiga i mea’ai paleni, ma e le o maua avanoa e a’oa’oina ai i le amataga o le soifuaga ma mafutaga talafeagai ma mātua.
• Mai le selau lua sefulu ono(126) Aoga Amata resitalaina a Samoa, e na o le tolu A’oga Amata o lo’o fa’amalieina tapula’a ausia mo le aoaoina o le fanau.
• O tupe fa’aalu a le Malo o Samoa o lo’o fa’amauina mo A’oga Amata, e le atoa le tasi pasene.
O le asō, ua tatou molimauina galuega fa’atino e tali atu ai i nei fa’amaumauga o fa’afitauli o le ola amata o tatou fanau iti.
Muamua – o le Fa’atonufolau mo le Tapu’eina o Olaga Amata o Fanau 2024 – 2034. O lenei fa’atonufolau, o se fa’asinoala ina ia mautinoa le maua e fanau o Samoa avanoa tutusa mo le soifua a’oa’oina, o le soifua maloloina, o taumafa paleni, ma le puipuiga talafeagai. O se galuega e fai fa’atasi ma tatou pa’aga, e fa’ailo ai le naunauta’iga a atumotu o le Pasefika ma Malo Aufa’atasi aua le fa’ataua o le tapu’eina o olaga amata o fanau.
O le lona lua o fa’alauiloa – o le fa’ailo lea o le Komiti Galulue o lenei Fa’atonufolau. O lenei Komiti e aofia ai sui o Matagaluega a le Malo ma afio’aga e i ai le tomai fa’apitoa ma agava’a e mata’itu le fa’atinoga o lenei fa’atonufolau ina ia ānoa lona fa’atinoga.
O le fesoasoani i lenei Fa’atonufolau, ua fa’atupeina ai e le Fa’alapotopotoga a le UNICEF le Poloketi mo le atina’e mo le olaga amata o fanau i se tau aofa’i e tolu selau onosefulu afe tala Samoa mo le valu masina. O lenei poloketi o le a fa’atupeina ai tagata e i ai tomai fa’apitoa e galulue ma afio’aga ina ia tu’uina atu le fesoasoani talafeagai mo le tapu’eina o le olaga o fanau.
Ma o le masina o Me i lenei tausaga, o le a talimalo ai le Malo o Samoa i le fonotaga a ta’ita’i o le Pasefika aua le tapu’eina o le olaga amata o fanau. O lenei fonotaga o loo avea ai le tatou Malo ma Sui Ta’ita’ifono o lenei Komiti fa’apitoa a le Pasefika.
O nisi ia o taumafaiga a Samoa aua le tapu’eina o le olaga amata o fanau, ma o nei galuega o loo lagolago malosi iai le Fa’alapotopotoga a Malo Aufa’atasi aua fanau poo le UNICEF, ma e tauala mai i le Matagaluega o Tina, Atina’e o Nu’u ma Afio’aga ma le Lala Ma’oti mo Afio’aga. E fa’aleoina ai ma le loto fa’afetai le fa’alapotopotoga o le UNICEF mo le lagolagosua i lenei galuega fai fa’atasi, ma le Matagaluega o Tina ma Tamaitai, Atinae o Afioaga ma Agafeso’otai.
E avea ai foi lenei laolao, e fa’aleo ai le agaga fa’afetai i Matagaluega a le Malo o Samoa, o Fa’alapotopotoga tuma’oti, o Ekalesia, o pa’aga mai Fafo aemaise le saofaiga a matai mo lenei galuega mae’ae’a aua le manulauti – o le ‘Galulue Fa’atasi’ mo le tapu’eina o le olaga amata o fanau.’
E mana’omia le tatou galulue fa’atasi. E le gata o Matagaluega a le Malo e aofia ai a’oa’oga, o le soifua maloloina, o afio’aga aemaise o tupe, o fa’alapotopotoga tuma’oti, o Ekalesia ma afio’aga fa’apea a tatou Pa’aga mai fafo.
Ma o se lu’itau fo’i lea mo i tatou uma:
• Mo matua ma e o loo tausia fanau – o le lumanai o lou alo e amata mai i le aiga. Talanoa ma fa’asoa, ma fa’afailele lona lumanai manuia.
• Mo saofaiga a ali’i ma faipule – ia tautuana ma fa’amuamua le ola amata o tatou fanau.
• Mo faiaoga ma auaunaga fa’a-soifua maloloina – ia atoatoa le auaunaga amata mo fanau.
• Mo tatou pa’aga mai fafo – Ia tatou galulue fa’atasi ina ia maua alagaoa e fa’atino ai lo tatou moemitiga.
O le afuaga o se lumanai manuia ma se atunu’u saogalemu, o le taimi lenei e fa’atino ai. O le atinaeina o fanau, o le galuega fai fa’atasi a tatou uma.
O le ave o le tatou fa’amuamua i so’o se vaega e atinae ai le olaga amata o fanau, o le manuia lena mo aso a sau, e le gata e soifua maloloina, aoaoina lelei ma se Samoa fa’atamaoaigaina.
Ma ou te fiafia lava e fa’apea atu, ua tatala aloa’ia nei le Fa’atonufolau ma lana Komiti Galulue mo le Tapueina o le Olaga Amata o le Fanau, mo lona fa’aaogaina.
Soifua ma ia manuia.
KEY NOTE ADDRESS BY THE PRIME MINISTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK LAUNCH
(TAUMEASINA ISLAND RESORT – 11 FEBRUARY 2025, 9AM)
Reverend Iese Uele,
Honourable Ministers of the Cabinet,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Community Leaders
Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organizations, and the Private Sector,
Development Partners,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,
Talofa Lava.
Today, we gather to affirm our national commitment to the foundation of our nation—our children. The launch of the Early Childhood Development Framework 2024 to 2034 or ECD, is a defining moment for Samoa. It is a call to action, a recognition that the first six years of life shape the future of an individual, a family, a community, and our nation.
Aligned with the Pathway for the Development of Samoa 2021 to 2026, human development remains central to our national vision. It is about overcoming hardship for vulnerable populations and creating opportunities that enable them to reach their full potential – starting with our youngest populations.
Scientific research and our cultural wisdom both affirm that the early years are the foundation of a child’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive. Eighty percent of brain development occurs before the age of five—long before a child enters formal schooling. As a nation, we cannot afford to neglect these critical years.
The Urgent Realities We Face while we celebrate this milestone, we must also confront the challenges:
• Only one in four of our four-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education.
• Too many children lack adequate nutrition, early learning opportunities, and parental engagement.
• Only three out of one hundred and twenty six early childhood education centres fully comply with our national standards.
• Less than one percent of our national budget is allocated to early childhood development.
A Transformative Moment for Samoa
Today, I am honoured to launch three key initiatives that will drive early childhood development forward in Samoa: If we want to build a stronger Samoa, we must start with our youngest citizens.
First, is the Early Childhood Development Framework 2024-2034 – This framework is our national roadmap to ensuring that every Samoan child has access to quality early learning, health, nutrition, and protection. It is an integrated, multi-sectoral plan that reflects our commitment to the Pasifika Call to Action on ECD and the Sustainable Development Goals or the SDGs.
Second, is the ECD Technical Working Group – This is a multi-sectoral team of experts, practitioners, and policymakers to oversee the implementation of the framework, provide technical guidance, and ensure accountability.
To complement these efforts, the Samoa Extended ECD Development Project, also known as the SEED Project, is a pioneering eight months initiative funded by UNICEF valued at three hundred and sixty thousand tala. This project will deploy community-based frontline workers to provide technical support for village representatives, ensuring that families and communities receive direct support and guidance in early childhood development.
Bringing ECD to the Community- Starting in March, twelve mini-ECD community launches will take place across Samoa, ensuring that these initiatives reach every village, family, and child.
This progress is made possible through strong collaboration, dedication, and the support of our national and regional partners. I extend my gratitude to UNICEF Pacific for their invaluable partnership in advancing ECD. Samoa proudly co-chairs regional efforts on ECD, demonstrating the power of collaboration through the Pasifika Regional Council for ECD.
I also acknowledge all stakeholders who have come together to accelerate action under this “Oneness Approach”, because ECD is not the responsibility of one agency, but of all of us, including:
• Government Ministries
• Civil Society & Faith-Based Organizations
• Development Partners
• Parents, Families & Villages
A Historic Year for ECD in Samoa – This year is particularly significant as Samoa prepares to host, for the first time, the High-Level ECD Forum in May 2025, bringing together 15 Pacific Island countries. This forum presents a landmark opportunity for Pacific leaders, experts, and partners to collectively advance policies and investments that will shape the future of our region’s children. Samoa stands proud to lead this important conversation, ensuring that early childhood development remains a top priority in the Pacific’s development agenda.
“Our children are the heartbeat of our nation. Their success is Samoa’s legacy.”
Today, I challenge us all:
• Parents and caregivers – Your child’s future starts with you. Talk, read, and nurture.
• Village leaders – Make our communities champions of early childhood development.
• Educators and health workers – Deliver quality services to every child, everywhere.
• Partners and development partners – Stand with us to secure lasting investment in ECD.
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the future of Samoa through bold, collective action.
With great hope, I officially launch the ECD Framework, the ECD Technical Working Group, and the SEED Project.
Soifua.
Photo by the Government of Samoa (Leaosa Faaifo Faaifo)
