Cultural village home of S.W.A.G. market

By Marc Membrere 08 November 2020, 8:00AM

The popular Samoa Women’s Association of Growers [S.W.A.G.] market has found a home at the Samoa Tourism Authority-owned Cultural Village Fale.

Thanks to a partnership between the S.W.A.G. and the Government’s tourism body, the market on Saturdays will be located at the fale for the next six months.

Since the closure of the Sunday market due to the state of emergency [S.O.E.], the market has moved from Tauese to Matautu and will now be based at the cultural village.

S.W.A.G. President Shelley Burich thanked the S.T.A. management for giving their market a temporary home, though she hopes there will be a long-term relationship. 

"On behalf of the S.W.A.G. executive council, members and vendors it is with great pleasure and excitement that I welcome you to the new home of the S.W.A.G. Saturday organic market and the start of a new and hopefully a long partnership between S.W.A.G. and the Samoa Tourism Authority," Mrs. Burich said.

She also thanked the Government and the S.T.A. for their assistance and emphasised that it is exciting to now be able to offer everyone a stable location for the market with a safe and welcoming environment for the next six months.

"The growing success of this market is also due to your participation and your commitment to making it the best and enjoyable Saturday organic market ever," she added.

In his keynote address, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Samoa, Dr. Trevor Mattheson congratulated the S.W.A.G. executive on the official opening of the S.W.A.G. Saturday market at the cultural village.

The S.W.A.G. was awarded a NZ$10,000 grant by the Pacific Development and Conservation Trust in New Zealand to the association of growers, with Dr. Mattheson emphasising that he is impressed S.W.A.G. received the grant to promote traditional weaving techniques, as alternatives to single-use plastics.

The S.T.A. Chief Executive Officer, Faamatuainu Lenatai Suifua, told the Samoa Observer that the S.W.A.G. market fits in with the current drive by the S.T.A. to promote new tourism products to ensure that there is something for everyone to go to.

He said they have an agreement to host the market at the S.T.A. Cultural Village Fale on Saturdays for the next six months, in order for locals to have a look at what's available in terms of plants, vegetables and food and they can become good products.

By Marc Membrere 08 November 2020, 8:00AM

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