Day 9 Samoa: Victims Support and Hospital

DAY 9—

When it rains it pours—literally. We woke up today to the pounding of pouring rain on the roof. This seemed like terrible luck considering today was supposed to be the first day of unloading the container. Luckily, the weather here changes from one second to another, and we ended up with a clear day that was actually a lot cooler than all the rest. We unloaded and organized some things from the container, and then loaded up in the vans to go visit the Samoa Victims Support Group. This turned out to be one of the most touching experiences most of us have ever had. This group is a home to victims of abuse of all kinds. Both women and children of all ages are given a safe place to stay on a beautiful campus. We arrived expecting to see struggling “victims,” but instead were greeted by beautiful, smiling women and children who welcomed us with song and dance. Seeing how happy these people were brought a lot of us to tears—it was so amazing. We then got to hand out gift boxes to everyone, which was a huge hit. After handing out gifts, we treated the girls to a manicure and pedicure, and got to know them better. Seeing how strong they were, and how happy they could be after all they have been through was something I will never forget. It was so hard to leave our new friends, and many of them asked us to stay, but unfortunately we had to go. After we got back to the house, we unloaded more container items and went to the hospital to deliver medical supplies. Then we all piled into the back of the hospital truck, and drove around what seemed the entire island, while some us screamed “TALOFA!” at anything and everything. It was so much fun to see the island this way, but poor Jaramey got incredibly sick, so we rushed home before she could throw up out of the back of the truck. Today was full of great experiences, and we got a lot accomplished. I would say it was our best day so far!

Nakisha Wilden and Rachel Steele