The newly crowned Miss Samoa Fa’afafine Ella Ganza said winning the pageant felt like a rite of passage to serve Samoans and the Samoa Fa'afasine Association.

Ella is 33 years old and from Sa’anapu, Faleula, Falevao, Malie and Iva Savaii. Ella was raised in Australia but made the journey to be part of the pageant.

“The feeling that I felt when I was crowned was a sense of achievement; and fulfilment and the crown meant so much more to me than just a crown, it was a rite of passage and so I feel like it gives me the key and permission to serve my people and more importantly the Fa’afafine Association,” she said.

“One of the main challenges for me is being born and raised out of Samoa and I don’t speak fluent Samoa so I think it has been a challenge to navigate and it is something that I want to learn and connect with, especially with my Fa’asinomaga.

“Also even the understanding of identity specifically tied to gender and the Western world is understood differently whereas here in Samoa it has its meaning but an opportunity to grow.

“To be honest I have many plans to serve my community with my SFFA association, one is to find ways to hope our young fa'afafine and fa'afatama people understand the power of their voice and contribute to the greatest society here in Samoa."

On Monday, Ella visited a few charity organisations such as the Home of the Aged.

Ellas has called on the young to ensure that the elderly in the community are always looked after. According to Ella, the elderly have contributed a lot to Samoa and it was now the turn of the younger generation to do their part.