The Vaipu’a village council believes that the tofā (dialogue) amongst the high chiefs at their meeting houses of Siumalae and Vaipua provide a wall of protection for the village.

That is the consensus reached at a two-day workshop at Vaipua which brought together the village's men and women for a talanoa session to assist draw up a community guide to eliminate violence against women and girls.

The Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) said in a statement issued Monday afternoon that much of the brainstorming during the workshop was on the selection of a suitable theme, which should amplify and set the content of the community guide.

At the conclusion of the discussions of the two villages of the men and the women, there was agreement which revolved around the following Samoan proverb:

“A paia le pa i Fualaga, ona sua lea o le Tuli, e mapu i ai tinā ma tamaitai.” (The wall at Fualaga provides protection for women and girls)

According to the village leaders of Vaipu’a, the wall of protection is the tofā (dialogue) of village leaders which ensures that despite the violence, hatred and the conflict amongst the villagers, they always find peace and protection within the village council’s meeting houses. 

"This cultural aspect of our daily lives is complemented by our Christian beliefs," the villagers added. 

"And therein lies the most common lessons learnt from the village leaders of the selected communities as the workshops are rolled out - the sense of pride in our cultural values and faith in our Christian beliefs."

According to the SVSG President Siliniu Lina Chang, the harmonious coming together of Samoans' cultural values and Christian beliefs to provide protection for the most vulnerable, is both reassuring and encouraging in the fight to eliminate violence against women.

The workshop with the village leaders is one of the main activities of the Government Project implemented by the SVSG fronted by men and boys guided by the theme "E le Saua Tamalii" (noblemen don’t hit).