More Samoan coconut oil is being sold to the Body Shop and it’s the women that are leading the way says Ms Sheree Stehlin of Samoa’s Women in Business Development Inc.
Ms Stehlin is currently in Auckland to attend a four day “Export Marketing workshop – Making a difference to your success” from 20 – 23 October 2008, at the ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane. There are 12 workshop delegates from the six Pacific Island nations of Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The workshops were organised by the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat in association with the Pacific Islands Trade & Investment Commission NZ.
Women in Samoa have always been supported their families in their own quiet way - in a society that has traditionally been male oriented. But over the past 5 years, the roles have changed and its women who are earning an income, especially with the revival of the fine mat weaving - where women earn money from weaving and spend the day weaving mats whilst the men taking on more of the child care and cooking roles.
In 10 months since the Women in Business Development (Samoa) started the Body Shop contract and since the merger between L’Oreal and the Body Shop - the production of coconut oil has increased from 3 to 10 tonnes, every second month and that means more people need to be trained into the project.
There are currently 14 families in as many villages in Samoa now producing coconut oil for sale to the Body Shop. The production of coconut oil involves the whole family but it is the mothers of the families that are leading the business and the men are now very supportive because they are bringing in the money said Ms Stehlin.
Villagers involved in coconut oil production now make average earnings of approximately $1000 Samoan tala and that’s making a huge difference to the quality of life for families in Samoa said Ms Stehlin.
One family who were living in very poor conditions has now been able to build a simple house concrete house for her and the extended family. “It’s not a flash house by any means, but it is of a substantial size that they can house their extended family” said Ms Stehlin. The family also began producing organically grown vegetables such as taro and tomatoes and they have been so successful they have now called on sons living in American Samoa and New Zealand to come home to Samoa to help with running their small business.
The increased prosperity has also highlighted the need for financial and budgeting advice for villagers not used to earning such incomes.
Families now have more money for fa’alavelave (Samoan custom of family support and gift giving now often associated with monetary donations)
But because they’re earning more they also want to give more said Ms Stehlin. There’s more need for budgeting and financial advice to people to help them hold onto their hard earned incomes said Ms Stehlin.
The Body Shop recently filmed a documentary in Samoa on the production of coconut oil in the villages. Ms Stehlin said it was a wild dream for Samoa to be able to supply to such a worldwide business such as the Body Shop, but it’s a dream come true she said.
