MOTHERS GATERING & FAMILY VIOLENCE

​More than two thousand (2,000) women from the Apia East Vicariate of the Catholic Church, made up of more than 20 villages starting from Vailele up to Mulivai Safata, gathered at the Mulivai Safata Cathedral on Friday evening to celebrate the Feast Day of the Lady of Sorrow.
 
During this church gathering, Samoa Victim Support Group was invited to present on our work. It was an honor and a privilege, as we joined this massive group of women, as they sang and processed from Tafitoala to the Mulivai Safata Cathedral.
 
Even before SVSG presented to the women, we learnt of their faith and their perseverance. We could not tell from the crowd how many of them are survivors of family violence, but one thing was for sure, these women are champions in their own rights.
 
SVSG took our message that we are here to support, to help, to care and to be family to our community in need.  Raising awareness on our work is a passion whenever we talked about it and we shared this with the mothers gathering.  Sharing on family violence and how it affects not just the mothers but the family as a whole, really hit home.
 
When we left the mothers gathering late Friday evening, we were grateful of the opportunity to further the awareness on family violence with this massive group of women.  “Thank you so much to the Chair of the Women’s Fellowship of the Apia East Vicariate, Mrs. Flo Wendt for inviting Samoa Victim Support Group to present to the mothers gathering, and to share on our work on family violence.  We hope the awareness will help a family currently experiencing violence one way or another.”  Siliniu Lina Chang, SVSG President