There was a little bit of everything in yesterday’s edition of the Samoa Observer. But it was the published pictures that showed the sculpture works of the local artist Poutoa Letuvae which caught the eye.

Hailing from the villages of Vaitele Fou, Sa’anapu, Toamua, and Malie, the 53-year-old is a graduate of the School of Fine Arts in Leulumoega Fou. He was a student of the legendary Ernesto Coter, an Italian who lived in Samoa from 1972 to 2003 and founded the art school in 1987.

Mr. Letuvae told this newspaper in an interview this week that the late Mr. Coter was his mentor and he was the founding art teacher’s first local student to be given carving tools. 

“Mr. Coter was my first teacher at the time. I still admire him,” Mr. Letuvae said. 

Walking around the residence of Mr. Letuvae at Vaitele Fou, you realise, how he as an artist used his art over the years as a form of protest against social injustices within the community. There are carvings depicting the danger of violence against women and children as well as the dark side of teenage pregnancy, which can result in infanticide (the act of killing a child within a year of its birth), and more broadly the dangers of alcohol consumption in Samoa.

“Domestic violence rate has increased and that is why I carved a statue portraying a small family where the father abuses the mother and children on his other hand a knife and the other holds a bottle of beer,” he said. “Alcohol has contributed to violence these days and I am happy to display this in the front to let the people be aware of the issues that are affecting the country."

We commend Mr. Letuvae for using his artistic creativity to promote a better Samoa. He joins artists around the world, who are using their art to raise awareness on important issues impacting their motherland, and calling for social change in a bid to create a peaceful and prosperous nation. 

As citizens of this beautiful country, it is incumbent on each and every one of us, to build on the foundation of Mr. Letuvae’s artwork on the dangers of family violence, alcohol consumption, infanticide, and other social evils and spread the word far and wide promoting change for the better. 

Perhaps, it is no coincidence that the annual conference of the Congregational Christian Church Samoa (C.C.C.S.) is now underway at Malua, with over 2,000-plus delegates in attendance over the next two weeks as the church sets its agenda for the next 12 months. 

While local artists such as Mr. Letuvae are inspiring those within his circle with their works of art, in Samoa it is the churches that have a bigger footprint complemented by the power of the pulpit to build a nation free from all social evils.

Thanks to the 193-year history of Christianity in Samoa, the churches are in the box seat to become agents of change with the C.C.C.S. at the top as the country’s largest denomination. Currently, the progress of the nation is being hampered by social evils, which are showing no signs of abating, unless and until more intervention by institutions such as churches can force a change in the mindset of the population and promote behavioural change within families.

Despite professing to be a predominantly Christian nation, Samoa has some of the highest violence rates in the world, with 9 in 10 Samoan women experiencing violence at the hands of family members. The country has high violence against children rates with 40 per cent of the cases reported to the non-profit organisation, Samoa Victim Support Group over the last five years. A Supreme Court Justice recently expressed concern at the rise in the number of methamphetamine cases going before the courts after police raids. 

To add to our social woes, the country is also caught up in a noncommunicable diseases (N.C.D.s) crisis – robbing the country of its most productive citizens who are losing their lives to lifestyle diseases which will have a long-term impact on the economic prospects of Samoa – due to the failure within Samoan families to promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

On the political rights of citizens, the ability of Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament to have unfettered access to the church’s broadcast platforms is denying the people access to impartial, objective, and independent analysis, commentary, and news to make informed decisions on issues that directly affect their lives.

Ultimately, acknowledging the above-mentioned challenges, the church, and various other churches are in a pivotal position to contribute to the well-being of the people and the country by using the current annual conference to discuss and consider solutions to better the country. It is after all the calling of the pastors, the deacons, and the clergy generally in Samoa to promote the well-being of the people irrespective of one’s religious affiliations. Without the people, there are no churches.