Born out of Covid lockdowns, JOH-Lei Freight opens operations at Vaitele

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 06 JULY 2023: Melbourne based JOH-Lei Freight Company has expanded its services by opening a local branch at Vaitele catering for freight between Samoa and Australia.

Director and co-founder, Sialei Mulipola Aloali’i said the company, which is almost 3 years old, was born during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People could not travel to visit their families in Samoa because of the border lockdown but that did not stop them from wanting to donate and contribute for their families,” said Sialei.

As not many Samoans were into the freight business in Melbourne, Sialei and her husband decided to put their dream into reality by establishing the JOH-Lei company.

Blowing the candles were Faletua Tauvale Muao and Sialei Mulipola-Aloali’i to mark the opening.

“We noticed a lot of Samoans moving to Australia and we saw an opportunity to establish something that would create jobs for our people and also to channel support for their families back home,” said Aloali’i.

With more Samoans recruited under the Labour Mobility program, they decided to expand their dream and opened a business branch in Samoa so they could have one channel of sending goods to Samoa.

The local branch will be managed by Sialei’s two sisters while she and husband manage the Melbourne branch.

The local branch was blessed by the Vaitele CCCS church minister, Reverend Muao and the cake cut by the Faletua Tauvale Muao and Sialei Mulipola-Aloali’i.

Some of the personal items the new service caters for.