TATALAINA O LE POLOKALAME O LE ASO FAAVAOMALO MO I LATOU E IAI AAFIAGA TUMAU O LE SOIFUA

SAUNOAGA AUTU Minisita o Tina ma Tamaitai, Atinae o Nuu ma Afioaga & Agafesootai Hon. Moefaauouo Julius Ah Kui Tafunai

Lau Susuga i le Taitai o le Sauniga, Rev. Konelio Taumaloto;

Sui o Malo ma Paaga mai Fafo - le Hai Komesina o le Malō o Ausetalia i Samoa nei

faapea le Faauluuluga o le Faalapotopotoga o Malo Aufaatasi i Samoa;

Faauluuluga ma sui o Matagaluega, Faalapotopotoga ma Auaunaga a le Malō;

Faauluuluga ma Sui o Faalapotopotoga Tumaoti

Le paia o Samoa ua potopoto;

Ae ou te lei utufia le vai na momo'o iai le Tuiatua nai Mulinu'ū ma Sepolataemo, e

muamua ona ou faatulou i le paia ma le mamalu ua aofia i lenei aso, i paia fa'a le

talalelei, o mamalu faaleaganuu ma le Malō. Ua mapu'epu'e ma maualuga lenei

taeao i lo outou afifio ma tala aao mai, o se taeao na afua aua le faamanatuina o le

Aso Faa va o malō mo le amana'iaina o aiā tatau a i latou e iai aafiaga tumau o le

soifua.

O lenei faamoemoe e faamanatuina i tausaga taitasi i le aso 3 o Tesema. O le autū

mo lenei tausaga, ua faaliliuina e faapea "Ia fa'aaofia tagata uma, ma ia patipatia o latou malosiaga e ta'imua ai, aemaise ai ole fa'aaogaina o lo latou soifua e tautua ai aiga, nuu, malō ma ekalesia - Ia tulai, e maualuga atu nai lo o lu'itau".

O le sauniga foi i le taeao nei, e tatou te tatala aloaʻia ai le ata pu'upu'u "Rise Beyond the Challenges" ua tu'ufa'atasia e le Nuanua o le Alofa - o se molimau i le malaga, le leo ma le malosi o i latou e iai aafiaga tumau o le soifua.

Talu mai ona sainia e le Malo o Samoa le Feagaiga mo Aia Tatau a i latou e iai aafiaga

tumau i le lata i le 10 tausaga talu ai, ua faaauau pea taumafaiga e unaʻia avanoa

tutusa ma le amanaʻia o o latou aia tatau.

O nisi taumafaiga a le Malō ua faatinoina e aofia ai le Faamanuiaga po'o le Penefiti

mo le tausiga o i latou e iai aafiaga tumau o le soifua, faapea le 20% o tupe mo le

Poloketi o le Atinae o Itumalo, e tuuina atu mo atinae e unaia ai avanoa tutusa ma

le manuia o i latou e iai aafiaga tumau. E o'o mai i le taimi nei, ua oo atu i le 2,782

le faitau aofai o i latou ua resitalaina i le Faamanuiaga poo le Penefiti mo i latou e

iai aafiaga tumau, ma ua siitia mai i le 100 tala i le 300 tala i le masina.

E avea ai foi lenei itula e ai momoli le faamalō I le faauluuluga o le faalapotopotoga

a le Nuanua o le Alofa, i le tofia ai e avea ma ta'ita'ifono o le fono aoao a le Pasefika

mo faalapotopotoga mo i latou e iai aafiaga tumau, le Pacific Disability Forum - le

Afioga ia Mata'afā Faatino Utumapu.

O lenei tofiga o se faaea lea mo Samoa aemaise i latou uma e iai aafiaga tumau o

lo tatou atunuu. O le naunautaiga o le malō, ia faaauau ma siitia pea galuega aua le unaia o avanoa tutusa, ma e moomia le galulue faatasi o tagata uma, o nuu ma afioaga, le Malō ma faalapotopotoga tumaoti faapea foi Ekalesia. O le tele o lima e mamā ai se avega.

E faaogaina ai lenei avanoa e faaleo ai se faafetai i paaga o lo'o fesoasoani pea i

taumafaiga uma, aemaise o le tuufaatasia o le faamoemoe i lenei aso. Faafetai i la

outou lagolagosua o loo mafai ai pea ona faatino le tele o nei taumafaiga uma.

E faaleo foi se faafetai faapitoa i faalapotopotoga uma ma auaunaga mo i latou e iai

aafiaga tumau o le soifua i Samoa faapea sui o afioaga ma i latou o feagai ma le

tausiga o i latou e iai aafiaga tumau. Faafetai faamalo le tauata'i. Samoa e, tatou tutū faatasi e soloia pa puipui o lo'o taofia ai ma taotaomia ai aia tatau a i latou e iai aafiaga tumau o le i totonu o lo tatou atunuu.

Tatou fausia se siosiomaga saoloto ma aofia ai tagata uma mo le manuia lautele.

E faaiu atu ai se faamatalaga, ia manuia tele le faamanatuina o le Aso Faapitoa Faa

va o Malo mo le unaia o aiā tatau a i latou e iai aafiaga tumau o le soifua i lenei

tausaga 2025.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Talofa lava.

It is my honour to join you as we commemorate the International Day for Persons

with Disabilities 2025. Our theme, "Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for

Advancing Social Progress - Rise Beyond the Challenges," reminds us of our shared responsibility to build a Samoa where everyone can participate fully.

Today, we also launch NOLA's "Rise Beyond the Challenges" video - a powerful

reminder of the journeys, voices, and strength of persons with disabilities in Samoa.

Today is about what we must do better as a nation to ensure dignity, inclusion,

and opportunity for all persons with disabilities. Nearly ten years since Samoa ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), we have made progress.

• We have improved accessibility, awareness, and equal opportunities.

• 2,782 persons with disabilities supported through the National Disability

Scheme, the benefit has increased from $100 to $300.

• And 20% of every District Development Project is now dedicated to Gender

Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion.

These achievements reflect real commitment - but they also remind us that our

work is not yet finished. Today, we honour the courage and leadership of persons with disabilities in Samoa, including Mata'afa Faatino Utumapu, Chairperson of the Pacific Disability Forum.

Her achievement shows that disability is - strength, resilience, and leadership.

But most importantly, today is a listening day.

A day to reflect on:

• Where barriers still exist

• Where support systems must improve

• And how Government, families, churches, villages, workplaces, and

communities can do better

• Your insights will guide the National Action Plan for Persons with

Disabilities, ensuring it reflects real needs and practical solutions for Samoa.

• Inclusion must be lived every day - through our fa'aaloalo, tautua, and

alofa - in how we welcome, support, and involve every person.

• Fa'afetai to our partners - DFAT through Tautua, UNRCO, UNDP, and all

organisations and families - for your continued commitment.

• Together, let us rise beyond the challenges and build a Samoa where

inclusion is lived, not just spoken.

• I now have the honour to launch the "Rise Beyond the Challenges" video

by NOLA.

Soifua ma ia manuia.

December 8, 2025