[broom sweeping leaves on gravel]
[Speaking in Samoan]: I am Nuufou Salelologa Mose.
I am 38 years old.
My disability is that I have a vision impairment.
I believe that there are plenty such instances
facing women and girls with disabilities in Samoa
but it's being hidden; not many people know.
[marching drum]
A good example of why I say it's happening
is based on my experience of where I used to work.
Sometimes, I can sense the discrimination,
when, in many tasks, I am told that I cannot do,
that I shouldn't be performing some of these tasks because I can't.
I am Oa Talatau Konefesi.
Female of 58.
I'm now having a big problem with my hearing.
[rustling sand]
Most of the things I want to explain clearly to the people:
I am getting this problem with myself right now,
but mostly they weren't giving a damn to me,
sometimes discrimination with a wordings, discrimination with actions.
Inclusion is key for any development, and the UNDP sees the importance
of inclusion of the most vulnerable populations in Samoa,
such as the women and girls of disability, in any form of development.
[broom sweeping leaves]
I visited the Ministry Education office, where I was interviewed.
I was instructed by the person who interviewed me
to read the posters that were on the wall.
I told her that I can't.
She gave me books, if I could read them,
and I told her I can't.
I was told then how could I possibly do my work as a teacher if I cannot read.
I tried to explain to her how hard I have been working
to fulfill my obligations as a teacher.
[Mose asks question and students respond]
However, I was told that I am to be informed
that I need to resign
because I cannot perform my duties as a teacher.
I don't want to participate in any other things
because sometimes when I found someone pointing
his hand or her hands to me and said,
"She's deaf! She's deaf!"
and then by that time I really want to show that person.
But I'm taking a look forward, I should go forward.
If I think back to how long I fought and tried hard to get my career,
it's very difficult, because not only did my family made a lot of
economic sacrifices to put me through school,
but also I invested a lot of time in it,
because I was eager to find a job and a career.
[students singing]
So I can stand on my own two feet and be independent
and have my own family that I can build from the sweat of my own hard work,
so that's why I was very sad because of this impact.
[students chanting]
The other impact – people were making fun of me losing my job.
There is obviously a lack of data
or evidence to support some policy recommendations
to improve the lives of the women and girls with disabilities
as well as to develop policy recommendations for policy actions
for women [with] disabilities in Samoa
in the area of stigma, discrimination, mistreatment, and abuse.
I'm the one leading, or the senior nurse specialist for the community in Tuasivi right now,
so I'm just taking an example that God is so good.
Even though there were a lot of problems facing with myself,
but God is still raising me, telling the people
that we are disabilities, we can do so as normal.
The need now is for the government to enact legislations to protect the rights
of persons with disabilities in Samoa.