The morning opened with a tatalo amata led by Pastor Ivan Taula, followed by a pese lotu with our au faigaluega leading the room in song. From the very first moments, the spirit in the space was warm, generous, and alive with the kaupapa of the week. E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu'u. From the high mountains are the blessings of the village. That is exactly what Friday felt like. A village drawing strength and blessing from one another, celebrating gagana Samoa with open hearts.

We were joined by guest speaker and author Jason Tiatia, who spoke about his book Sāmoan Made Simple and the importance of keeping gagana Samoa accessible for every generation. His korero was generous and warmly received, and Jo from Scorpio Books had a beautiful selection of titles on the day, with literature and language celebrated side by side. We gifted Jason a pie as a small koha, which felt very fitting.

From there, Luamanuvae Toma Petelo and Junior led the valu popo demonstration, a coconut preparation display that brought members of the community into the action alongside them.

The shared kai was everything it needed to be. Sapasui, kale, pakeka, potato salad, and rice, with sweet dishes from our partner organisations rounding out the table. Our kaimahi sang waiata and pese throughout the service, and the room felt full in every sense of the word.

The afternoon brought outstanding performances from the Salevao whānau, whose talent, pride and passion were a highlight of the day. Jason performed with Tipazo accompanying on guitar, and Juniors kids took to the floor to deliver a beautiful Siva Samoa, before the Chohoo Challenge got the whole room moving.