Keynote Address Hon. Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Salesa Schuster Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Lands at the SRWMA MOU Signing Ceremony with Youth Groups, and EU Visit
SAMOA, February 13 - E faapopo a oni aso ua, ao aso folau foi ua le tuua.
• Peresetene o le SRWMA
• EU Representative,
• Members of the Diplomatic Corps
• Mamalu ma le paia o le au valaaulia
Ua mapu i le malae o le toto’a, le ua faalanu ma’aveave i le upu soifua e fai ma lā’ei o lenei taeao matagofie, i le alofa faaauau pea o lo tatou Tapa’au sili i le lagi. Ta’oto fa’ala’au mamafa, o le a le toe faaluaina. Malo faafetai.
E lei alafua lo’u tu atu, va atu le pa’ia ma le mamalu ua e’e ma pāpā’a’ao i lenei taeao matagofie.
Ua malu lalotao, i le afifio mai o lo tatou Mālō, i ona mamalu faalagia. Ua atoa foi faga i laua, auā le paia ma le mamalu o Samoa ua atoa usu. Mālō le asa. Mālō le onosa’i.
E’e mai la, i le matāvao, o Aliiseu, ae sei tuli’autasi le atu a le sa’u, i le mafuaaga o lo tatou va’a e tasi, e fai ma molimau.
O le taeao o le fagufagu a le Matuamoepō mo tatou uma. E afua mai i tula o le atupu’e, seia o’o lava ia tatou fanau.
Ia o tatou lili’a i le to ma le pisaga, i le soona lafoia o lapisi, ma le fa’aotaota, e aunoa ma le manatu mamafa i ai. E amata mai lava i lo tatou lotoifale i aiga, nuu ma alalafaga, e oo mai lava i nofoaga faitele.
Ua maua fofō o isi faamai, ae ole gasegase lenei o le faalapisi, o le tulāmā’i, o tatou uma.
O le auga foi lena o lenei polokalame ua amatalia e le faalapotopotoga o le SRWMA ma vaega autalavou e sefulu lea ua tatou molimauina I lenei taeao lo latou auaufaatasi ise maliega, e faatino ai poloketi e faaitiitia ai le faalapisi ma faalauiloa ona aafiaga i le siosiomaga. Faafetai i le tofa silasilamamao, sei toe lalaga paga, ma toe sa’a le fafao, auā Samoa mo a taeao.
O se vaai mamao ma se faataua lelei, ona e pei o le upu, “a’oa’i le tama e tusa ma ona ala, a matua e le toe te’a ese ai”. O le lelei tapena o le fanua laiti e taofi le lafoa’i o otaota I nofoaga faitele, afioaga faapea totonu o aiga, aemaise o le faamasani e vaevae ituaiga lapisi I vaega e mafai ona faapala ma vaega e ao ona tuuina atu i nofoaga o lafoai ai otaota faapei o Tafaigata ma Vaiaata, ose faamalosiau foi lea I totonu o aiga, ma nuu mo le faamatagofieina o Samoa, ma faaitiitia aafiaga o le siosiomaga ma le soifua maloloina.
Momoli foi la le faafetai i Malo ‘au faatasi a Europa mo le latou lagolagoina o lenei faamoemoe i le itu tau seleni faapea faalapotopotoga uma o loo faipaaga ma galulue ma le SRWMA.
Ia agalelei le Atua o mea uma ma na musuia tatou uma, ia ulimasao ai lenei faamoemoe tāua
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Talofa lava to our esteemed guests, partners, and most importantly, our young leaders of Samoa.
It is a privilege to be here today to support this meaningful partnership between the Samoa Recycling Waste Management Association (SRWMA) and our selected youth groups—our future guardians of our environment. Although it must be emphasized that the name of the project itself – Our Future is Now points to our youth of today, taking the lead and responsibility instead of waiting for their turn in the future.
The reality is that small Pacific nations like Samoa face unique challenges, including limited recycling markets and costly logistics for exporting recyclable materials, let alone finding ways to limit imported goods made or wrapped in non-biodegradable materials now littering our shores.
However, through innovative partnerships, community action, and youth engagement, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for sustainable solutions.
Today is a critical reminder that empowering young minds is key to shaping a cleaner, more sustainable Samoa.
By equipping our younger generations with the knowledge and skills to manage waste responsibly, we are directly contributing to building resilient, self-sustaining communities through environmental stewardship, waste management, and youth-led solutions.
However, let us be reminded that Government, Civil society groups and donor support alone will not be enough—it is our collective responsibility to take ownership of our waste and drive the shift towards a circular economy. Waste management is not the responsibility of a few, but of all of us.
This Memorandum Of Understanding signing under the Our Future is Now collaboration between SRWMA and ten youth groups reflects the essence of the initiative—fostering local action, inspiring youth leadership, and ensuring a healthier future for all Samoans.
We recognize and appreciate the support of international partners and specifically today the European Union and its total generous funding of $100,000 tala, with each youth group getting $10,000 tala. Such contributions are instrumental in advancing Samoa’s waste management goals.
As we move forward, I challenge our youth to take full advantage of this opportunity—to be leaders, changemakers, and ambassadors for sustainable waste solutions.
Through your commitment, you are not just addressing immediate waste challenges—you are pioneering the movement towards sustainable, thriving communities, because we care, SAMOA CARES.
Ia manuia tele le fa’amoemoe and God bless
Photos by the Government of Samoa (Jasmine Netzler-Iose)
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