Magiagi welcomes NZ Governor General in Ava Ceremony

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 08 SEPTEMBER 2022: The chiefs and orators and residents of Magiagi village welcomed New Zealand’s Governor General, Dame Cindy Kiro in an Ava ceremony yesterday morning and acknowledged the special connections with the visitors.

Held at the Maota o Luafau in Magiagi, the main objective was for Her Excellency and delegation to re-launch the “Save the Manumea” campaign which was initially launched and funded by New Zealand in 2019.

But there was another significant reason for visiting Magiagi village.

“The other very important reason why we wanted to visit Magiagi was because we have something precious that belongs to you, my dear official secretary Alice, she is from Magiagi” she said.

Alice Ropata is the first woman and Pacifica to hold the significant position of official Secretary for the New Zealand Governor General and has her roots in Magiagi.

Alice’s late grandfather was buried at the Magiagi cemetery 20 years ago.

“Coming to Magiagi with all these reasons makes this visit very special and I feel so welcomed and more so with your hospitality,” the Governor General said.

Save the Manumea campaign:
The “Save the Manumea” campaign was initially launched on July 27^th 2019 by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the former Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa who is now the Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa

Part of the “Save the Manumea” mural painted on the Magiagi bus.

Magiagi is one of seven villages in Samoa that has a significant remaining population of the Manumea bird and is the latest village to have pledged to safeguard the national bird and joining Falealupo and Aopo villages in Savaii, Faleseela, Matafaa, Malololelei and Uafato in Upolu.

Samoa Conservation Society and its key partner, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as others are working on these sites including Magiagi, to manage the threats and restore Samoa’s rainforests.

Key commitments of Manumea-friendly villages are to reduce or eliminate hunting of Manumea and native creatures to reduce forest loss and produce greater forests to manage these species and to develop alternative livelihoods and enhance nature.

The goal is for the Manumea-friendly villages to become champions to save the Manumea and have full ownership of conservation efforts with the support of the campaign’s partners.

Part of the campaign since its launch in 2019 was the installation or painting of five Save the Manumea murals across the country including the New Zealand High Commission’s building in Apia in the attempt to get the message across the whole of Samoa.

In addition, another Manumea mural was painted at the back of one of Magiagi’s timber buses specifically for yesterday’s event.

As Governor General, one of her key priorities is supporting works that protect the natural environment for future generations.

She commended all participating parties and villages for putting value in one of Samoa’s special birds and building the capacities of local communities to better conserve the Manumea’s habitats.

“The conservation of native birds is a passion shared by both Aotearoa New Zealand and Samoa,” she said.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand department of conservation granted NZD$99,000 for Manumea activities including campaign awareness materials.