Safotu #4

We had a great turnout in Safotu. Rain was once again a factor but that didn’t stop people from coming. Most of the crowd showed up early so to entertain them Leni busted out his best dance moves.

When the nurses arrived we started the show. I made a crucial mistake at the beginning of the program. I forgot to have one of the men say a prayer to begin the activities. An opening prayer is essential in Samoa anytime there is a meeting or program of this nature. Unfortunately no one stopped me before I was finished speaking but during a break one of the nurses helped me realize my mistake in the nicest way possible.

We made one change to the program today. Instead of doing the skit first we decided to wait until everyone had been screened for diabetes and hypertension. The reason for this was so the participants wouldn’t have to wait as long to eat. This is again due to the fact that you shouldn’t eat before checking blood sugar levels.

This turned out to be a senseless change and I think I speak for the whole cast when I say we were dead tired when it was time to start the skit. Our reason for postponing it due to the participants desire to eat was a non-effective either. It is very important in Samoan culture to make sure the guests (in this case ourselves and the nurses) are fed before anyone else can eat.

The highlight of this particular seminar was the part where we ask the audience for tips on adjusting lifestyle habits. Leni and I finally devised a way of getting the audience to participate as well as us being able to provide our suggestions.

The list below shows our five main points and the audience/nurses/volunteers’ suggestions for how they can change their habits.

5 Main Points	Suggestions
Reduce fats and oils in your diet	Eat more fish and chicken and less mutton and salted beef.	Boil foods instead of frying them.	Remove fatty parts of beef, pork, and chicken skin. Drain oils from fried foods.
Reduce sugars in your diet as well as replace “bad” or “processed” sugars with “good” or “natural” sugars.	Drink a coconut instead of a soda.	When you need that sugar fix, eat local fruits such as papaya, mangoes, and bananas instead of candy and cookies.	Offer sugar on the side as opposed to adding it to the tea pot. This will give people a choice.
Eat balanced meals	Start a garden	Add vegetables to soups	On some days drink cocoa, and on other days drink orange flavored tea
Eat Samoan Food	Add coconut cream to cocoa instead of sugar	Eat local fruits instead of imported fruits	Stop buying imported meats that are canned and frozen. If there is no demand, there is no supply.
Increase physical activity	Go for walks in the mornings and evenings	Stop using buses and cars for short transport and use your legs.	Start a garden

The team worked well today as the participants just seemed to flow in and out without waiting or being rushed. Here are some more pictures that show everybody hard at work.