LocationsBreaking Barriers: Samoan Entrepreneurs Graduate to Greatness
March 5, 2025
Group photo of all the participants.
Celebrating achievements in entrepreneurship
“O le ala i le pule o le tautua”; the path to leadership is through service. This Samoan proverb was embodied by 44 entrepreneurs attending their final training graduation, marking a significant milestone in their professional and personal journeys in December 2024. What united them was their shared dedication over the past six months to earning the Samoa Business Hub Certificate II in Small Business Operations.
Thanks to the support of the Markets for Change (M4C) programme, 25 students – all women – now possess the skills and certification needed to grow sustainable businesses in Samoa. The M4C Phase II project, implemented by UN Women in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and funded by the Government of Australia since 2022, is a five-year initiative aimed at promoting the economic empowerment of women market vendors across five countries. The Green Climate Fund-Vaisigano Catchment Project (GCF-VCP) funded nine students to join the cohort, as part of their joint climate adaptation and human resilience objectives. The remaining 10 students were sponsored by the Samoa Qualifications Authority.
Graduates of the Samoa Business Hub training programme for young entrepreneurs, part of which was funded by the Markets for Change programme
Promoting economic empowerment through learning
In Samoa, gender disparities in the labour market remain a significant barrier to women’s economic empowerment. Women represent only 35% of the employed population, as highlighted by the latest national labour survey (Samoa Bureau of Statistics, 2024). This inequity is particularly stark in the private sector, where women make up just 39% of the workforce and are less likely to occupy full-time positions or leadership roles. Many women are relegated to unpaid family or volunteer positions, missing out on formal wages, social protection, and economic autonomy (Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative, 2021).
Globally, training programmes like these have shown measurable benefits for women’s participation in the workforce. According to the International Labour Organization, access to vocational training and entrepreneurship support can significantly increase women’s employment rates and income. These interventions also have multiplier effects, boosting household livelihoods, improving children’s education outcomes, and fostering community resilience. By equipping women with formal business training, this programme addresses not only individual skills gaps but also systemic inequities, as women market vendors and entrepreneurs are often excluded from traditional training opportunities. As Markets for Change continues, its impact is expected to extend beyond the individual graduates. Studies reveal that empowering women entrepreneurs leads to increased community investment, as women reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and local economies.
Economic empowerment begins with education and skills development. The students, all entrepreneurs, or aspiring entrepreneurs, used this opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge and skills to grow their business or start a new one. The Samoa Business Hub, whose mandate is dedicated to support the development of small businesses in Samoa through access to finance and training, delivered the course in Upolu for registered participants from both Upolu and Savaii. Their commitment to quality training and their exceptional reach among local communities were instrumental in this success.
The Certificate II in Small Business Operations was for some participants their first opportunity in engaging in formal accreditation and leadership courses, while offering a comprehensive business training package contextualized to their needs. The training covered key areas, including occupational health and safety, first aid, customer service, and the impacts of alcohol and drugs. It also provided practical business skills such as record keeping, costing, pricing, taxation comprehension, and marketing. In helping the graduates to better manage or start their business, the programme aims to boost a skilled workforce, confident women entrepreneurs, and thriving businesses in Samoa, with positive ripple effects on the business landscape, their families, and communities.
Stories of resilience: graduate voices
As one of the Markets for Change-sponsored graduates, Ana Maualaivao operates a small business selling handmade Samoan handicrafts at the Fugalei market. Having completed school at Year 13, with no experience in business management, she faced significant challenges in setting up and managing a small business, including lack of capital, insufficient daily income, and difficulties in tracking sales and finances. Ana depended on small loans and remittances from her children working in recognized seasonal employment overseas to keep things together, and her business afloat.
Through this course, Ana learned business management and financial skills which helped her in her daily work. She is now able to effectively record her sales and expenses using a ledger and digital tablet, allowing her to monitor her profits and losses, and she now markets her products online via Facebook, resulting in a steady flow of clients. Her products were also showcased under the Prosperity exhibition for the UN Secretary General’s first-ever visit to Samoa in August 2024.
Training graduate, Ana Maualaivao of Vaitele Uta and Utualii
In her graduation speech, she said: “My biggest achievement is that I now have a bankbook for my business for the first time, with a savings account under my name that is my own and no one else’s. For the first time as well, I have access to internet banking. Although I have just started my bank account, I am now able to make better savings.”
Petronilla Molio’o, a graduate of the cohort sponsored by the Samoa Qualifications Authority, also had a powerful take on this experience: “This training was for us a reminder that you are never too young or never too old to learn. The path to entrepreneurship can sometimes be lonely and we encounter hardships. The UN’s commitment to women’s empowerment and inclusive workplaces have influenced our learning path. I am proud of my co-graduates for not letting our age, gender or position affect our journey.”
Training graduate, Petronilla Molio’o.
Congratulations were extended to the families, whose unwavering support made the graduates’ journey of late nights and long classes possible. An often-overlooked aspect of learning is the dedication required – not just from the graduates who attended three-hour classes, three days a week for six months, but also from their families.
“I see a lot of life experience among graduates which you cannot get with any certificate, but this learning will help you take it further and serve you all your life. You are the future of Samoa’s economy, you are the future of Samoa,” said Unasa Atuaisaute Misipati, Chief Executive Officer of the Samoa Business Hub.
The Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Samoa, Paolo Dalla Stella, handed over the diplomas to the graduates, and further encouraged: “Use what you learned and the skills that you acquired to enrich not only yourselves but also your families, villages, communities, and this beautiful country - Samoa. Your journey speaks of hope and inspiration for others, proving that with perseverance and right support, great strides can be made.”
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Paolo Dalla Stella, handing over the newly acquired diploma to a participant of the Markets for Change programme.
Beyond the skills, the course instilled a renewed sense of autonomy and confidence in graduates, as illustrated by one student's journey. As a market vendor and young entrepreneur running two family businesses in Samoa, a restaurant and a sewing shop, Grace benefitted from formal business training for the first time. "This training gave me newfound independence and taught me how to market and grow my businesses. It was a full-on commitment these past months, but it was worth it. All I want to say is, the sky is the limit.”
As these graduates step into their futures, their stories remind us that investing in education and empowerment transforms lives – not just for individuals, but for communities, which is why it is imperative to continue to champion such initiatives and celebrate the power of perseverance.
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