Next week, Samoa will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2024) with 56 countries in attendance. Preparations for this significant event have been underway for four years, involving local businesses stockpiling supplies and villages decorating each participating nation’s colours.
The meeting follows Samoa’s White Sunday holiday, known as Lotu Tamaiti, which celebrates family with singing, dancing, and feasting. On Manono Island, children performed at the Methodist church for this important occasion, which is the second-largest public holiday in Samoa after Christmas.
The town centre of Apia was bustling with shoppers preparing for the holiday, with many seeking new outfits for their children. Local businesses, like Tanoa clothing store, have been busy stocking up and reported a customer surge in the lead-up to Lotu Tamaiti and CHOGM. As the event approaches, each village in Samoa is adopting a Commonwealth country, decorating their streets to welcome the world leaders arriving next week.
Visit here for more: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/530760/samoa-preparing-for-commonwealth-heads-of-government-meeting