The Samoa Fa’afafine and Fa’atama community held a forum at the Tanoa hotel this week under the theme of “Putting Ourselves to the test achieving equity to end HIV”.

The discussion is a build up to the main Miss Samoa Fa’afafine pageant on Friday evening where seven contestants will showcase their talent in a night expected to be full of entertainment and laughter. 

Several keynote speakers attended the forum with presentations on social experience of fa'afafine and fa'atama in Samoa, sexual reproductive health and rights, intervention amongst other discussions. The forum allows the fa’afafine and fa’atama to network, share ideas, form alliances, build and strengthen relationship. 

Earlier this week the seven contestants also shared their views and findings on different topics in a speech competition that saw Ushel Tanu Okesene take the winning prize.   

The speech competition was held at the Edge Marina at Matautu with the winning speech from Ushel about business and entrepreneurship from a fa'afafine perspective. 

Ushel, who is a cosmetologist and owns a hair salon and beauty therapy shop, gave out advice to her fellow colleagues on ways they too can succeed and most importantly move forward.

The competition also saw some of the contestants sharing their personal stories and an emotional journey of not being accepted by their own families and close community. 

In their fight to not only be successful and not just accepted, but acknowledged by the community, the contestants all agreed they found the Samoa Fa’afafine Association (S.F.A.) as a safe haven to be who they are without the stigma. 

The S.F.A. pageant will be held at the Tuanaimato Gym1 on Friday night – an annual event that was halted for two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

The reigning Miss Fa’afafine Miss Honey Julia Solofa was crowned in 2019 and will pass on the baton to one of the seven contestants. 

Those competing this year are; Dane Fabricius, Jezebele Sue Mumu, Franzine Mikaele Hunt, Ushel Tanumafili Okesene, Tyra Fanks, Leon So’onalole and Norah Onarldo.