Samoa Observer's journalist Manaui Faulalo spent two weeks at an Australian newspaper The Leader for two weeks. She provides an insight into her journey.

I often wonder why I end up in the places I do. Sometimes, I think it's because of fate, but I believe it's because of God's timing.

A few months ago the Samoa Observer was invited to participate in a journalism programme in a partnership between ABC International Development (ABCID) and Country Press Australia (CPA). The first of many.

Six print journalists from the Pacific were invited on a two-week placement with newspapers in regional Australia. Partnered up with another print journalist from the Solomon Islands, we travelled from Melbourne to Adelaide and then from Adelaide to a valley called the Barossa Valley.

There, I was placed at a family-owned newspaper, currently run by the fourth generation of the family. They managed to keep the paper running for a hundred years. My biggest highlight of the trip would have to be when I went out on jobs with the other journalists, and people knew the role of a journalist - why we do what we do and who we do it for.

I remember when a primary school visited the Samoa Observer earlier this year and thought the newspaper was printed on a normal office printer. I understand now. It’s because people don't know until they see for themselves. 

Tony Robinson, the owner of The Leader and their sister paper The Southern Argus still writes, collates and is heavily involved with the staff. He greeted me at the door with a proud smile that I will not forget.

His eldest son Peter, runs the printing press while his second, Darren, oversees the marketing and advertising side of things. The youngest son, Adam, contributes to the paper as well. His lovely wife Angela is also a part of the paper business and is hands-on with the work, both Tony and Angela collate the paper with the workers every Tuesday before it is delivered on Wednesdays.

If anything I took away from this programme was the hard work the family does to ensure the paper keeps running, no matter the criticism, no matter the downfalls and all the bumpy rides its business endures. At the end of the day, they are doing it for their community. The unheard stories that need to be told. 

All in all, like the human body, it can't function without other body parts. Like the newspaper, it takes a team, the editorial team, design, printers, admin and delivery. 

Being placed in a different newsroom made me appreciate our newsroom a lot more. I have the honour of working at the only newspaper in Samoa; despite the criticism, Samoa Observer continues to run, not just because it is "business" but because the paper does it for the people. 

I have learnt that although the people may not always be on our side, that's okay. As long as the Samoa Observer stands, we will continue to write for the voiceless and those who perhaps have the mic for too long.