A SWAP Internship gives interns a great introduction to Samoa, and completion of the 4 week training programme is a requirement to be rostered as Duty Manager at Camp Samoa, and/or a Tour Guide/Driver for Samoa Village Stays.

Internship Commitment

Interns commit to a total of 4 weeks at Camp Samoa.

The first two weeks is an on-site training course (2 hours theory and 2 hours practical, 6 days per week) with visiting Samoan teachers, followed by second two weeks of practical experience (in the plantation and on tour in the villages).

Cost

WST$3,380.00 per person (or as otherwise auctioned on TradeMe.)

Price includes:

• Four weeks food & accommodation (backpackers-style),
• both Airport Transfers,
• one tour (including a Village Stay of two nights),
• one roast pig banquet,
• the Intern training course booklet,
• a total of 24 hours classroom time of training (2 hours per day, x six days, over two weeks) and
• 24 hours supervised practical.

Cost breakdowns:

Prices do not include: Alcohol, personal needs/medications, Internet charges or your travel to Samoa.

Minimum requirements

• Age 20+ years,
• Drivers license,
• Good speaking English,
• Good people skills,
• Good health,
• Clean police record.

An advantage

• Multilingual skills,
• travel experience,
• cooking/writing skills, and
• married (or in a stable relationship).

Due to the tropics and the rural plantation/farm environment of Camp Samoa, internships are not suitable for the disabled or people with major health issues. Samoan plantation work, especially in the tropical sun can also be a challenge to women of lighter build.

What you will learn

SWAP Interns learn the essence of Samoa from a Palagi (visitor’s) perspective, sufficient to be able to guide others, mainly backpackers, WWOOFers and budget tourists through selected Samoan villages and cultural experiences. After completion of the two week training programme, subject to bookings, they will have two more weeks hands-on experience as a guide with other Interns and visitors. Completion of the programme will give successful Interns opportunity to be rostered as a Duty Manager at Camp Samoa, a backpackers and voluntourism centre in Aleisa East, Samoa. Long-term opportunities as SWAP Ambassadors in many different roles are also available to successful SWAP Interns.

Subjects covered in the training:

Lifestyles

• L101 - Primary tree, plant and weed identification.
• L102 - Growing and harvesting of taros, cassava, taamu, peanuts, beans, tomatoes, citrus, pawpaw, pineapples, bananas, coconuts
• L103 - Pig/sheep/chicken use & husbandry, handling of the Samoan [guard] dogs.
• L104 – A day in the life – typical life of a Samoan untitled man
• L105 – A day in the life - typical life of a Samoan untitled woman

Food

• F111 - Cooking on fire with several common Samoan pot-cooked foods.
• F112 - Umu preparation and cooking including, all root crops, palusami, roast pig and more.
• F113 - Fish & fishing – tuna and other local varieties – netting, longlining and spearfishing.
• F114 – Coconut – the tree of life and source of a myriad recipes
• F115 – Using the “French/Italian” pizza, biscuit & bread oven.

Culture

• C121 – The people, personality and engaging (cross-cultural issues)
• C122 - Religion, Christianity, Denominations, Minor religions
• C123 - Legends of old, Music, Dance, Arts & Crafts
• C124 - Politics (incl. local/village government), the Matai (chiefly) system
• C125 – Sports – rugby, volleyball, canoe sports, minor sports

The Country of Samoa

• S131 – A history of Samoa
• S132 -Demographics, Samoan diaspora, racial makeup
• S133 -Samoa’s tourist destinations/activities incl geographical layout and tour options
• S134 – Tourism, resorts, the Tsunami and cyclones, sectors
• S135 -Business/Investor/Immigration guidelines

Marketing

• M141 – Samoa on the Internet
• M142 – SWAP blogging
• M143 – Partnerships and Joint Ventures (business opportunities)
• M144 – Camp Samoa Duty Managers – systems, roles, responsibilities, opportunities, commissions/profit-share

What interns get

SWAP offers Interns who successfully complete the 4 week training:

• a certificate of completion from SWAP
• a SWAP ID card valid for the year of issue, and renewable for the next two seasons
• opportunity to apply immediately for Duty Manager positions at Camp Samoa  (optional and subject to successful job application)
• assistance to obtain Work Visa from Samoa Immigration
• priority to partnership with SWAP in any agreed Joint Venture within Samoa
• greatly reduced accommodation charges at Camp Samoa for the current and following two seasons
• a profit share of sales at Camp Samoa directly attributable to the intern’s referrals/sales (commissions) for the current and following two seasons
• a profit share of income while a Duty Manager at Camp Samoa

Dates

Notes: Peak Tourism Season is from 1 May to 30 November.
Use the colour codings on the Calendar for easy date calculations!

Calendar

FAQ

Q. Can I bring my spouse/partner? If so, how much will it cost them?

A. Yes, subject to availability. For purchases made at auction, charges are the same as your auction price, or RRP less 25% if the auction sell price is higher than RRP. Partners share one handbook.

Q. What chance will I have of getting a work permit/a job with Camp Samoa if I complete the Internship programme?

A. The chances are very good for early applicants

Q. Can I job-share the Duty Manager job if I get selected?

A. Yes. Any SWAP Intern who has completed the Internship programme can job-share with you, subject to SWAP prior approval. Duty Manager rostering is “six days on, three days off” 24/7.

Q. Where can I learn more about being a Duty Manager at Camp Samoa?

Camp Samoa Duty Managers

(http://www.campsamoa.com/2013/02/camp-samoa-duty-managers-2013-season)

Q. Can I use the Internship programme as a part holiday? What chance is there to see and experience Samoa?

A. Yes. Every afternoon is available for sightseeing and enjoying Samoa. Interns spend a minimum of three days two nights “on tour” in rural Villages familiarising themselves with Village Stays, Samoan culture and lifestyle. Local Samoans participate in the teaching of the Samoan culture and provide the Sunday To’onai family experiences. Interns are welcome to experience Samoa on their own in the fourth (last) week of their training, as well as the days/weeks after completion of the four weeks of training. Interns from New Zealand, Australia, USA and many countries may stay as a visitor up to 2 months on a visitor’s permit. Some countries are limited to one month.

Q. I’m considering immigration to Samoa/doing business in Samoa. Is the programme suitable or helpful for me?

A. Yes. Furthermore the relationships that you build during the course will stand you in good stead when you do immigrate, as you will already have friends and contacts in Samoa (a very important aspect of engaging with Samoa). The course content though is high-level, very general, and geared towards Camp Samoa Duty Manager role and Village Stay tour guides, with only one session targeted specifically towards investing or immigration.

Q. I’m interested but I am on a budget. Is there any way that I can reduce the cost?

A. Yes:

1. Apply for a Scholarship. Scholarships can reduce your training fees by up to 90% and thus affect your final costs by up to 50%.
2. Camping in your own tent at Camp Samoa (rather than going backpackers-style) saves you WST$240.00
3. Bring a friend/partner and share costs thus saving $120.00 on course booklet, and up to $60.00 each on the roast pig banquet.
4. Purchase your Internship by online auction at TradeMe and you may be able to pick up a “deal”.
5. Life offsite with family/friends in Samoa (saves Camp Samoa accommodation charges and/or Airport Transfer)

Q. What is your cancellation policy?

A. We will refund 100% of your purchase 30 days prior to date of commencement of the training, less WST$50.00 handling fee. We will refund 50% of your purchase 7 days prior to date of commencement of the training. Any refund after the date of commencement of the training will be at the entire discretion of SWAP and even in best-case scenario will only be a partial refund.

Q. Can you help me get a job and work permit/invest/set up a business in Samoa?

A. Yes. SWAP is happy to assist all Interns in any way that helps the people and economy of Samoa. We know the systems, requirements and people to assist, however we DO NOT accept or offer bribes for special favours. so we make no guarantees. We will however help in whatever way that we can, and Samoa can be very obliging “if you have no guns or drugs in your baggage”!

Q. Is the Intern training suitable for Samoans, or is it only for Palagi?

A. While an Internship is usually oriented to Palagi, ex-pat Samoans wishing to engage with their mother country for the first time are very welcome to apply and depending on their existing cultural understanding could gain enormous benefit from the training. Please refer to SWAP for further clarification if you would like more information on any matter.

The SWAP Foundation has opened several opportunities for Ambassadors (anyone who can write or blog, reporters, journalists, photographers etc) able and willing to visit the inaugural 1-day Palolo Festival in Savaii in early October 2012.

Tickets for the Festival will be advertised on TradeMe with a $1.00 reserve from Tuesday 25 September 2012.

The commercial value of these “tickets” is over NZD$200.00 each!

Included in the packages on offer is:

• Free entry to the Palolo Festival private beach
• Free attendance at all on-site electives (food, crafts, cultural, music, plantation) – value NZD$55.00
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation at Savaii’s Secret – value NZD$55.00
• Airport Transfers, Ferry and transport to/from the Festival – value NZD$95.00

You will only need to get yourself across to Samoa (if you are located offshore) and to cover the cost of your own drinks!

Successful bidders will become “SWAP Ambassadors” for the event and are just expected to enjoy the event,  and to take photographs, blog about their experiences and to act professionally while “on assignment” in Samoa.

This is a great opportunity to:

• see and experience the best of rural Samoa. Samoan hospitality is recognised the world over.
• help small tourism businesses. The tourism industry in Samoa has struggled post-tsunami. You will be making an enormous difference with your visit.
• be part of history, recording and capturing the start of what will be an annual event in Samoa, and of course to
• join the party! If you are a musician and want to perform, play, sing or whatever, just let the host know and you can do so.

Your accommodation is at Savaii’s Secret (www.savaiissecret.com). Your hosts are Pelasio & Onossai Tapusoa. Your guide and Project Manager is SWAP CEO, Dennis A. Smith.

During the day you will be participating in learning experiences from local Samoans who will be sharing different aspects of their culture. During the evening you will be mixing with the Samoan host family and village helpers, singing around a campfire, playing music or socialising as you so wish.

You will have opportunity to participate in the Palolo gathering during the Palolo Rising, and cook and eat the Palolo afterwards.

Opportunities exist to extend your stay before and after the Festival. Partners and friends are welcome to join successful bidders with 20% discount off regular prices of Tours, Village Stays and other accommodation.

Phone enquiries are welcome before and during the auction process. Questions are invited during the auction on the TradeMe website.

Successful Project: A cheap and effective Camp Oven

An oven project got underway at SWAP HQ with the words, “Your mission Etienne, should you choose to accept it, is to design and build a camp oven, Samoa style.”

Mission Possible it was, and so now SWAP HQ sports a 44gallon Camp Oven!

SWAP HQ is located in the heart of Camp SAMOA on 5 acres of rural Samoan plantation. Our volunteers (voluntourists) have a range of skills, interests and backgrounds, and Etienne Armagnat spent a couple of weeks WWOOFing in Paradise recently, on his way to a longer holiday New Zealand. Hailing from France, Etiennne is an engineering graduate who just wanted to experience the REAL Samoa.

Fata George Strickland and the drum before welding

He did exactly that! While on the WWOOFing programme at Camp SAMOA, he undertook a personal project to design and build the Camp Oven.Drawings discussed and completed under Dennis’ supervision, he headed on down to Fata George Strickland’s workshop with an empty drum and an idea. “No problem!” Fata was all ears and keep to help out a Palagi friend in need.

An old camp oven – one of the several sighted by the SWAP team and inspiration for the project.

Old camp oven from the front

Rocks were gathered from around the section.

Plenty of stones from the plantation – plenty!

The drum was secured in place, with enough room for a decent fire underneath.

Camp Oven in early construction

Concreting began. Cement is relatively cheap in Samoa.

Camp Oven under construction with cement plastering underway

Fellow WWOOFers from France, Thomasi Duquennoy and Adeline helped cement the drum in place and in due course a fire started to heat the oven.

Let’s cook!

Pizza in the oven – dinner here we come!

A finished Camp Oven with construction team

Seki a! Très bon! Super bon!

Pizza time at SWAP

Pelasio shares openly about the issues facing his business on his website www.savaiissecret.com and a similar story is repeated throughout the country as the tourism industry still suffers from multiple challenges – both internal and external. Most tourism operators in Samoa have little business experience, and if they do, they have little understanding of marketing. For many, marketing on the Internet is simply a foreign concept. Many do not even have an Internet connection.

Pelasio on his own private beach at the setting sun – a lucky man indeed!

SWAP conducted a SWOT analysis for the owners identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the business. The SWAP Ambassadors assigned to Pelasio‘s business (Audrey Cauet and Bej Oriol) had already traveled widely throughout Samoa but were highly enthusiastic about the lovely family environment and the private beach that Pelasio had developed.

Some quotes from the SWAP report are:

This place is a true family environment and while it is a typical Samoan Beach Fale set up it would be far better presented as a Village Stay, rather than as a Beach Fale . . . The key to marketing Sevemanaia however is the friendly, hospitable philosophy of the family that is based on the exchange between people, the love between each other and their religion (Christian). As with every Samoan family, the culture of respect is very important. All are well educated and open-minded. They are interested in others and enjoy meeting new people.

[Audrey Cauet]

and

Pelasio had previously approached the Samoa Tourism Authority for assistance. They eventually advised him that the resort needed a second shower; instructed him to replace the one concrete floor fale with a wooden floor, and then advised them to make an application for PSSF funding.

Their application was subsequently rejected.

Pelasio and Onosai have showed enormous patience in the time that they built their resort. As they have with all people, their attitude to the authorities was one of respect and patience, not that of some who demanded action and complained when they didn’t get the answers they wanted. For example, their application for power was made in 2007. They paid their installation fee are still waiting as we write – in 2012! It must have been totally demoralising to be told by the authorities to make an application for funding and then being refused. Our hat goes out to them, it really does!

Even though they had taken these setbacks in their stride, everything takes a toll and as we reported,

While not quite “depressed”, they were certainly disillusioned and totally unable to see any way forward.

With a little TLC, a bit of exposure and some good solid ideas for taking his business forward, Pelasio’s business will certainly improve. Apart from giving him his own website, SWAP is helping him to develop a festival around the annual Palolo rising event that occurs every October. More on that soon.

Pelasio and some of his extended family

In the meantime, Savaii’s Secret! is now out in the open: www.savaiissecret.com

Well done Pelasio and Onosai for taking a big step of faith – we trust that your business will never look back from now on!

For those interested in the economics of this project, total capital outlay from Pelasio was nil. Ditto for SWAP. SWAP Ambassadors even paid their own way. SWAP developed and provides the website hosting as a part of the JV. The commercial value of a website for a small business in Samoa is between $1,000.00 and $2,000.00, sometimes more. The greatest value for Pelasio though and the thing that has motivated him and his family enormously to work hard and step forward is to have somebody, somewhere on his side helping him.

So as one credit card company says on their advertisement:

• SWOT Analysis – value: good
• Website – value: large
• Business expertise – value: enormous
• Giving a business owner hope – value: priceless!

* In 2010 SWAP ran a value-adding and marketing seminar for tourism businesses in Savaii. Our activities with half a dozen potential business partners were undermined however when the Samoa Tourism Authority “advised” businesses in Savaii not to deal with us! SWAP ceased all activities in Savaii as a result of this adversity. We are therefore very pleased to be able to help Pelasio with the marketing of his fledgling business and to be “back in Savaii”.

View down to some of the gardens currently being cleared of logs and stones, our two-pole marquee, the new Fale Samoa bunkhouse (awaiting thatched roofing), plus our our lean-to “living-shack” against the 40′ container. Ablution block behind camera and a good acre or more of bush still being cleared to the right. Taro and banana plantation plus main road out to the left of the picture.

Greetings all from Sunny Samoa. Thirty degrees in the middle of winter and we all love it that way!

A few snippets of information as a mid-year update from SWAP HQ in Paradise follow.

We’re all alive and well in case you were asking. The year 2012 has been one of pushing through the pain barriers – financial, emotional, faith and physical hard work.

We blew up our generator the week before Christmas 2011 and while Kipor NZ graciously replaced it under warranty we had no power for over six months until last week. Our Internet too has only just been reinstalled because now that the power company has installed power poles, we can have proper DSL broadband installed. It’s still very expensive, but it works reliably.

Land development has continued at a slow but steady pace. We’ve been clearing truckloads of trees and rocks, then planted out 200 bananas, the same number of pineapples, peanut plants, with beans tomatoes, taros and more all bringing in steady supplies of food. Taro is a staple – relatively easy to grow once you get the hang of it – and we are now reaping the rewards from taro suckers we have previously grown. This makes a crop from a third generation food cycle for our volunteers – very cool for the greenies amongst us!

The WWOOFing programme has been ticking over nicely with a steady supply of visitors from 1-5 at any time helping in various ways. It was especially pleasing to see some of our WWOOFers take up the offer of working for the SWAP programme in July/August. This confirms our long-held view that voluntourism in Samoa has a strong future. People genuinely want to help if they can, and if they get a good experience into the bargain they are happy to do it and recommend it. Two of the team went to Uafato to work on the Ninth Heaven marketing. Another two went to Savaii for a new Beach Fale that had Village Stay potential.

The Samoa Village Stay business venture has ticked over slowly this year. People who have visited have all had a real education as we have shown them the “other” side of Samoa from the pristine, white sandy beaches that the Tourism department loves to use. Debbie recently bought herself a one-way ticket to New Zealand, so our human resources are down to minimal causing challenges to conduct Village Stay tours, but the business continues. Some of our original hosts have dropped out, but others have joined.

One new Village Stay in particular in Savaii will certainly grow to be a lovely location – they have a private white sandy beach and the principals just can’t wait to look after visitors. We’ll be starting to market them as Savaii’s Secret very shortly.

Their story is similar to any one of the smaller operators – they have no marketing or business experience. They built their business as best they could over a six year period with offshore family help. When they thought they were ready they went to the Samoa Tourism Authority and asked for help. According to them, the STA finally sent some girls around who told them what was wrong with their resort, and then did nothing more. They were advised to apply for funding through the PSSF. They did this and their funding assistance for marketing was denied. They had reached a dead end before contacting us. As with many things here, it is not money that people need it is simply time and TLC. Beaurocrats by their very nature can never and will never be able to do that. Nobody trusts them – especially in Samoa! While SWAP brings expertise and can help with business strategy and online marketing, it is actually hope, meaning and purpose that people need most of all in this emerging third world country rather than money.

The SWAP limousine is still here and available for business but the guy we put the limo out to a management contract in January ended up shafting us. Samoa can be a real cesspit of BS if you don’t pick your friends well. A guy named Wayne Davis offered to help us after we got stung by our previous mechanic Tui Saumalu who had ripped us off – over charging, over-promising and failing to deliver. Wayne is a “talker” and like many here he talked his way into scoring something for nothing. He got use of a limo and a bit of cash for deposits on bookings that we’d sent him! But after we did a bit of checking, it turns out his stories were all stories, he’d spent a bit of time in jail (more than once9 it seems!) and he didn’t or couldn’t maintain the limo, wouldn’t return it (the police returned it to us after we laid charges of theft!) It even seems that when push came to shove he didn’t even have a drivers license! OMG Where does Samoa get all these kind of guys  from? We’ll crank up the marketing for the limo again when we can find someone to operate it for us!

The Initiana bus project has been delayed indefinitely again. We traded a broken local bus for a concrete mixer with one of our Village Stay hosts earlier in the year. All was good until he changed his mind and reneged on the deal. He still has the concrete mixer but he won’t give us the bus! His comments when challenged about it all? “Too bad!” If we cause a scene and embarrass him over it, we’ll be the ones hated and despised by all even more. They have a delightful way to do things here – talk, talk, talk and then compromises. That’s called Fa’a Samoa to a Samoan. We’ve got other words for it but one day we may see our concrete mixer back, and it might still work!  That’s just Samoan business for you! You just have to smile and get on with life, hopefully a bit smarter.

Our new campsite is now open and we’ll develop marketing around ultra-budget accommodation in Samoa when we get into the Internet thingy again!

We’re still waiting for a few things from the authorities that are holding a lot of things up but we finally got piped mains water in January, and power poles in August – so things are certainly better for us all round, but they can take a long time to happen in Samoa!

While interested in language, different cultures, and much more, his real interest as a botanist is in plants that are useful. Dale, in Samoa every plant produces a food, drink, flower, aroma, medicine, weaving, building product or just plain old firewood – nothing is wasted here!

Welcome to a botanists heaven where plants grow like weeds and everything is used!

Of her experience in Paradise she says, “Oh la la!” which translated into polite English means something like, “Maybe I am a little bit surprised!”

Her project brief included a SWOT analysis (identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and reporting back with her team’s opinions.

In June 2012, SWAP opened Samoa’s first camping site.

Located in the heart of rural Samoa, in the middle of coconut and banana plantations, Camp Samoa is available for camping from one-man pup tents through to larger family tents up to six metres in diameter.

SWAP volunteers have created lovely flat grass circles under the coconut and banana trees, that give partial shade during the day yet catch the gentle cooling breezes so necessary in the tropical heat. Options to clear your own patch in the plantation or bush also exist if you want real privacy and to experience solitude in Paradise!

An ablution block with fresh water, toilets and (cold) showers is located in the centre of Camp Samoa, a short walk from anywhere on the 5 acre block.

Camping in Samoa only costs WST$10.00 per person per night, making for extremely cheap budget accommodation in Samoa. Meals are also available ($15.00 pp breakfast, lunch & dinner) and options are available through WWOOF Samoa or the SWAP Voluntourism Programme to work off your account to save your money!

UPDATE: Our twelve-bed Samoa Backpackers is now open, February 2013.

SWAP HQ is located at Camp Samoa just out of Apia in Falelauniu (East Aleisa) and transport is available to and from SWAP HQ to any destination in Samoa.

• Taxi, SWAP HQ to Apia (one way) – $20.00
• Taxi, SWAP HQ/Siusega or Tuana’imato shops – $10.00
• Taxi, SWAP HQ/Vaitele shops/market – $15.00
• Taxi, SWAP HQ/Bhai Temple or Robert Louis Stevenson Museum – $30.00
• Taxi, SWAP HQ/Airport – $50.00 (plus Airport Fee of $5.00)
• Bus to/from SWAP HQ/Apia – $4.00 each way

SWAP HQ – location  on Google  Map:

• Taxi, SWAP HQ/Bhai Temple or Robert Louis Stevenson Museum – $30.00

Thomas first heard about Samoa on a TV programme three years previously (Is Samoa not in French school books?) and had always wanted to visit. Originally joining the WWOOFing programme, he alternates between photography, blogging and section-clearing depending on the tasks available.

Very manaia (nice)!