Samoa counsellor calls for culture change

Transcript

A Samoan counselling service is hoping to break down cultural barriers in its efforts to address what it says is an alarming suicide problem.

Although official figures haven't been released, Tua Maalo Tulua from Fa'ataua le ola says she knows of at least 11 suicides over the last three months, 10 of which were youths.

Tua explained to Koro Vaka'uta the issues surrounding suicide in Samoa.

TUA MAALO TULUA:  There's a lack of communication between parents and their children. You know those days in Samoa culture where the parents never allow the kids to speak up or voice their concerns or voice up what needs to be done.  Nowadays we are trying to encourage parents to open up the doors and let their parents talk to them about whatever sort of problems they have.  (Adult cases involve) Relationships, it's all about man being suspicious about the wives and then being drunk and then coming home and stuff like that.

KORO VAKA'UTA:  In terms of the parenting.  You mentioned parents allowing their kids to talk to them more about their concerns and that sort of thing.  There is a cultural barrier there?

TMT:  Well that's before.  Yeah it has always been the culture but we are trying to avoid what's going on about all this problem about the suicide.  We are trying to encourage the parents please open up the doors to the children so they can voice up what they want and listen to them about their problems.  We have a programme and we always talk about that.  Family home evenings.  They need to sit down, the parents, take time to sit down with their children and even the children too make time so they can talk to their parents in the evening time during prayer time to encourage them and help them out.  If they need anything to talk about, if they have any problems from school, if they have any problems with friends, the only place for them to get an answer or solve the problems they have is to talk to the parents.

KV:  Are you hopeful that parents will listen to this message?

TMT:  We are trying  our best and very hard to knock on their doors and keep on knocking and knocking and tell them and help them out to let their children talk to them.

KV:  Of those 11 cases you mention, how many of them have been youth?

TMT:  The youngest one is 14 and about 10 of them are about from the age of 14 to 29.

KV:  Are you getting more calls and more contact from people seeking help?

TMT:  Yeah, yeah, yeah because all those people who call our office, our free-line office, there's nothing happened to them.  We talk to them and their problems are being solved.        

The service's free helpline in Samoa is 800-5433 or 800-LIFE.