Asomaliu is a 36 year old mother of four girls, staying with her husband’s family at Toamua. She used to be an unemployed nofotane women, relying on her husband as the sole breadwinner for the family.
In 2018, Asomaliu attended the livelihood skill workshop at Toamua, and learnt how to design, mixed and painted fabric with traditional designs called elei.
Asomaliu became one of the five thousand beneficiaries of the economic empowerment program implemented by SVSG to empower women in Samoan society, nofotane, to enhance their confidence and skills and be able to earn an income and participate in family and community matters.
Multiple skills have been born through the hard working hands of this woman. She is now a seamstress, elei fabric printing and a sei creator.
Thousands more unemployed women, youths and vulnerable groups locally and internationally, have been trained and empowered by Asomaliu.
This is through sessions held under the shady trees, for unemployed mothers waiting on their children attending the Saina Primary School with Asomaliu’s daughter.
Through social media, Asomaliu has posted photos of her creative arts, and attracted customers locally and internationally.
Her live video posts have lead to people sending her friend requests on her facebook page, just so that they could learn from her on how to make sei, which is her most popular product.
Earlier this year, Asomaliu advocated for the empowerment of nofotane women on local television as part of the ongoing Nofotane Program by SVSG, and again, she had gained more customers.
Asomaliu is setting up her own business infront of her family home at Toamua, selling the variety of products she has created. From the economic empowerment seed planted back in 2016, a ripple effect is now enjoyed by this woman, her family and thousands whom she has empowered through training.
Her three older children are now attending school in New Zealand. Her husband is running their taxi business and is saving for an additional vehicle to their fleet.
According to Asomaliu, “now that I’ve experinced the goodness of being empowered both economically and socially, there is nothing stopping me from sharing this blessing with other women and vulnerable groups…
“For me, the reward is seeing the changes in the lives of the people that I’ve helped. I should know because I myself am enjoying this blessed journey, thanks to the Program by SVSG for nofotane women.”
The invitation which Asomaliu took up for the Roundtable forum, came from the Registry of Companies and Intellectual properties Division of the Ministry of Commerce Industry & Labour.
SVSG is excited for Asomaliu, and all the women whose lives have been transformed socially and economically through the Nofotane Program.
Teaching the unemployed nofotane women survivors of violence these skills helps to alleviate poverty, improve their financial contribution to their family and community, and in the process, accellerated progress towards SDG5 for gender equality.
