Did you know that the popular beauty store The Body Shop’s products contain Samoan coconut?
And did you also know that the woman behind the momentous movement is a Samoan who’s now just been recognized as a global leader?
Director of Samoan NGO Women in Business Adimaimalaga (Adi) Tafuna’i has been honoured at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards in Washington last week.
Vital Voices was set up in 1997 by Hilary Clinton, and its mission is to identify, invest in, and bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world.
Adi is also the chairwoman of a Community Fair Trade coconut oil supplier. She partnered with The Body Shop to help bring Samoan products to the world and create livelihoods in local communities.
Today, health and beauty items sold in nearly 50 countries are made with coconut oil produced by hundreds of Samoan families.
The Samoan entrepreneur is the executive director of Women in Business Development Inc (WIBDI) an organization she founded more than two decades ago.
As at January 2012, Adi had enabled more than 1,500 families to access economic opportunities to support themselves – effectively strengthening Samoa’s economy and offering its youth an alternative to emigration. Adi is widely recognised for her wisdom and leadership and people from across the Pacific and beyond speak of her extremely highly.
We’re so proud of Adi who is also the first ever winner from the Pacific.
Have a look at her inspirational work here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTp-RtQ1KBg
Amo June 15, 2012
omg! thats my Grandaunty in the background!
yep son makes the coconut oil in the back fale – pure coconut oil!