Buy 'Made in Samoa' products in Samoa...

Products made in Samoa

Last week, my beloved and father returned safely from Samoa from a family funeral that they attended and brought back some food and beauty products made in Samoa (as pictured here).

Included in the pic are beauty products and foods gifted from various families (although we discourage them) as most products can be bought in NZ, to save their resources.

The products use Samoan based natural resources i.e. coconut oil, sugar cane, different herbs etc.; Taro chips in the brown packet, Tumeric based cleansing drink (mustard coloured bottle), coconut with spices jam (small bottle); koko Samoa which I describe as Samoa's unadulterated cocoa drink and 'flower biscuits' as I describe them as.

These are often brought over as a gift or 'oso' from Samoa to their families in NZ or overseas. What's so neat is seeing the entrepreneurial side of many Samoans families beginning to consider ways to trade and use the resources around them for local and overseas consumers which in turn also helps families at home.

I definitely encourage tourists and our overseas-born Samoans to buy Samoan made products when visiting Samoa rather than imported foodstuffs, products etc. because it usually directly supports families who have set up small to medium businesses in finding ways to supplement their incomes with Samoa having a very low minimum hourly rate of pay.

I enjoy visiting the markets in Samoa when visiting there and also enjoy the different foods that are made traditionally made there as they never taste the same when made overseas as nothing quite makes up for the umu (smoking earth oven) and BBQ. Looking forward to our next visit to sunny Samoa...