13 Aug 2012

Samoa coastal village celebrates rebuild three years on from tsunami

5:57 pm on 13 August 2012

An advocate from the Samoa village of Poutasi says more jobs need to be created to help residents recover from the 2009 tsunami.

Poutasi, which is on the south coast of Upolu, was almost wiped out by the tsunami but almost three years on it now has many new buildings and plans are afoot for a gym and a hospital.

Papalii Viopapa Annandale Atherton, who is a women's and childrens rights advocate, says what has been created since the natural disaster is amazing.

But she says there should now be a focus on creating more jobs.

"I personally think there should be focus on agricultural development, develop the lands now that the village has been revitalised. I think it gives people hope to go and make a living for themselves. There's a lot of land to be developed. Personally that is what I would like to see."

Papalii Viopapa Annandale Atherton says people who visited the area soon after the tsunami wouldn't recognise it today.