An 18-year-old student at a disability school in Samoa is the winner of a Japanese art competition that was run in December 2021.

Minoi Simeone, a student at the Aoga Fiamalamalama, was among students from Samoa who submitted 14 entries in December for the Nihama Sustainable Development Goals (S.D.G.) Art Festival competition which was held in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture in Japan.

Entries were also sent in by primary and lower secondary schools in Japan and around the world, according to a statement issued by the JICA Office in Samoa. 

The 63-year-old mother of Mino, Faanita Simeone, said she was shocked when the Principal Sharon Suhren called to advise her son had won an award.

She said she had no idea her son had entered an arts competition, let alone an arts competition held in Japan.  

Speaking fondly of her son, Mrs Simeone said her son enjoys sports, music, dancing and most of all art drawings.  

Minoi has enrolled at Aoga Fiamalamalama school since 2009 and added her son is quite happy and content at school.  

He does not enjoy staying at home and always looks forward to school everyday, according to his mother. 

Mrs Suhren acknowledged the support of JICA Samoa Office and Japan towards so many of their school activities.

These includes funding of their school building, technical assistance through JICA Volunteers and school equipment donated; musical instruments, art supplies, weaving machine and the keyhole garden on the school compound they have continued to maintain since it was introduced by the former JICA Volunteer, Hiroshi Miyazaki.

The message behind the art competition in Japan is the realisation of world peace and a sustainable future leading to the development of greater, more visible efforts toward the achievement of SDGs.

Aoga Fiamalamalama is a non-governmental school that was established in 1979 to meet the needs of Samoa's intellectually disabled children.