This year we've gone for supporting our local SSAB Samoan Stationery and Books store, Sei Oriana, located next to Mangere Town Centre Shopping centre for jewellery and our youngest's outfit. I'm thinking the same for when Christmas comes along too.Unfortunately, a lot of other stores have jumped on the bandwagon of 'White Sunday' clothing and have started sewing up or acquiring white outfits that our Pasifika people pay megabucks for each year and they make significant profits from them too.
Might I suggest that we begin to use our $ wisely by either buying products made by our Samoan and Pasifika businesses (although shoes can be problematic unless there is a Pasifika business out there) or by making them up ourselves or paying a Samoan dressmaker like Cara's in old Papatoetoe or Yeng Tung in Mangere (I hope that spelling's correct).
Not only does it become tailored to your taste and made with love but you're also supporting local Samoan or Pasifika businesses and not those who are only wanting to acquire in profits without any obligation or commitment to our communities.
I say this in being aware that there are shop owners out there who are quite happy to make our Pasifika clothes or cook our foods but don't eat it themselves and are not interested in the health aspects of ensuring that the meat is of high quality and is not saturated in fats.
It's the same for our Pasifika clothes, often they are made for profits with little regard for those who are wearing it or for the reasons of why we are celebrating this event. As Pasifika people, we need to commit to supporting those who genuinely wish to support our communities and that is why I'll be supporting our local Pasifika/Samoan businesses, who work ethically, whenever possible...
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