They came, they boogied, and they left behind a pile of rubbish. This was part of the aftermath of the UB40 concert on Saturday. It was not a pretty sight. But this did not deter Aumaga Dance Group, as they swapped their dancing attire for hand gloves and garbage bags to clean Apia Park.

The cleanup took place on Tuesday, with the group filling bag after bag of litter and other discarded items.

Faalaga Junior Leituala, one of Aumaga’s leaders, said, “The cleanup was important to us.” 

He said that there is a Samoan proverb that says, “the tropic bird takes pride in its feathers,” which means be proud of who you are and cherish your culture and heritage. 

Leituala emphasised that if people cherish their culture, they should also cherish their environment. He witnessed that the park was filled with a lot of rubbish and was very untidy. “It is not just something that Aumaga should do; it is everyone’s responsibility,” he added. 

He said that Aumaga wants to inspire the people of Samoa to take pride in our community and get involved in local actions. 

“No one in the group was displeased with our cleanup yesterday; it was by our own free will, a way of giving back to the community.” 

“Aumaga is more than just a dance group,” said Leituala.

Some of the boys in Aumaga also shared their views on the matter. 

Nevillie Noah Siaosi said, “This is very important because we must clean our country for the sake of the environment in which we live. He added, “There is rubbish that collects water, which can breed insects such as mosquitoes; this can lead to many infectious diseases that can affect Samoa. That is why it is important to work together to clean our country, Samoa.”

Jimmy Tapusoa said, “If we are Samoans, we make Samoa clean. The work was done quickly, the rubbish was cleared, and the boys worked happily and with enthusiasm.”

Peter Leuea said, “The work we are doing is useful because it serves as an example for the younger generation who think that it is a waste of time. He added, “It is very important to do your part in cleaning our country. It also builds pride in being a Samoan, and it reflects the values of the family you come from.”

The Aumaga Dance Group is a male-dominated Samoan dance collective focused on preserving traditional Samoan culture through Siva Samoa while advocating for men's mental health.