Leififi College has celebrated Literacy Day and used the occasion to showcase students’ literacy skills by hosting debates, speeches and the cooking of Samoan traditional food as well as cricket.

The one-day event at the college was attended by students, parents and teachers of the Leififi College with the College Principal Sifuiva Malaea Lauano revealing that it coincides with the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture’s Literacy Week Programme.

She said the school's art department decided to do the practical side of literacy week on Thursday, through the students putting their culinary expertise on show through their preparation of Samoan traditional food including umu.

“The theme for today is ‘learn to serve’ so we want the students to practice what they have learned in the classrooms with the intention and the idea and the hope that when they go back to the community, they will do this at home, it will help their parents,” she added.

“If they can do this at home during their spare time, they can prepare sua fa’i, they can sell it and they are contributing to the economic development of the family.

“Even in the youths, Sunday schools, so that they can be able to showcase their potential, as an economic and as a productive citizen of our country.”

“They don’t have to wait for parents to give them everything. Learn the skills, practice and implement it so that they can also contribute to the development of our country, so that is the whole idea of today.”

The Literacy Day programme at the college started with the ava ceremony, which she explained is a Samoan activity for the Year 13 level, and different classes were assigned to various activities such as cooking Samoan traditional food, sports, speeches and debates and dances.

Sifuiva thanked the sponsors of the programme: Samoa Stationery and Books, Business Systems Limited, Samoa Commercial Bank, and Bank South Pacific which donated and helped with the school's preparations for Literacy Day.

"Thank you very much. With their support we were able to provide prizes for some of the students and their efforts today,” she added.

Leifiifi College Head Boy, Tagataoletuiatua Tuiavii, told the Samoa Observer in an interview that he feels happy for the Literacy Day programme which the teachers prepared for the students and sees the programme as a useful way for students to learn many different skills.

Mr. Tuiavii thanked the teachers for the programme that will enable students to know how to prepare the umu, cook food, and play traditional Samoan games such as Samoan Cricket.