Samoa
Samoa has a warm tropical climate and has some of the most beautiful islandscapes in the South Pacific. There are only 179,200 people that inhabit Upolu and Savai''i, the two islands that make up Samoa. Samoans have a very strong culture and take great pride in ''Fa''a Samoa'' - the Samoan way. Their culture puts a great emphasis on family and the ''Fale'' (house) as the centre of their lives. Samoans enjoy a relaxed pace of life however there are many things that threaten their way of life, in particular, natural disasters. Although their quality of life has been improving over the past years, in 2009 Samoa suffered a major setback when a tsunami hit the Aleipata region. Many people were left without their homes and continue to struggle to rebuild their lives.
This coupled with ongoing social problems have presented great struggles for the people of Samoa. The Salesians of Don Bosco first came to Samoa in 1981. In that year they established a technical school for young men that had not succeeded in mainstream education. Today, Don Bosco Technical Centre is on the most respected schools in the country. Salesian Priests, along with the Salesian Sisters, now run: parishes, youth centres and primary and secondary schools throughout Samoa.
Volunteer Placements in Samoa
