A young Samoan and one of the recipients for the 'Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli Award for Courageous Achievement' has taken a further step to advocate for actions to help the community and save the environment.

Marion Tavai-Fruean was one of the Robert Louis Stevenson Senior School students who returned home with gold medals after participating in an international robotics competition in Dubai last year.

The 16-year-old from Ululoloa is currently a member of the Samoa Victim Support Group (S.V.S.G.) Juniors.

“As a child, it has always been in my bucket list to volunteer but I never really had the opportunity because I am still in school,” she told the Samoa Observer.

“I know for sure my parents will prioritise school but I still believe that I can do both. 

“Instead of watching TV and using my phone, I prefer to just do something creative and productive around the house.

“In saying that I was inspired to make a difference after I joined S.V.S.G. Juniors during one of our visits to families affected by measles through the S.V.S.G. outreach programme.”

Ms. Fruean realised how bad the surrounding environments that vulnerable families lived in and how it affected their lives in terms of health.

“I don’t want to see this in Samoa; it broke my heart knowing that they live in such poor living conditions. 

“I want a clean environment for them and also educate them in showing them that this is a better way through sorting out waste or rubbish which can be used again.

“I want them to know how to upcycle [also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality and environmental value].”

She said that with upcycling all recycled items such as cans of spaghetti which can be turned into something used to store pens in an office or at school.

“I and the youth would like to focus on picking up the rubbish from homes to the beach shores.

“All I ask from our people is to keep Samoa clean because we are trying to clean up the mess which has already been created. It is for our future or the generations to come.

“I think that if everyone works together and has the same objective and especially the same goal which is to save the environment.”