Three names which are known to anyone who’s been a nurse in American Samoa are: Pepelele Malemo Haleck, Feiloaiga Elisara Apisaloma and Initia Nemaia.
They are the trailblazers of the nursing profession in American Samoa.
And the territory gets to pay tribute to them during the American Samoa Nursing Association’s Centennial celebration next month.
ASNA President Mrs Tofiga Tufele, says one way they are honoring the contributions and memories of these pioneer nurses is for their villages to provide traditional entertainment during the week long celebration.
Initia Nemaia will be represented by her village of Nua & Se’etaga while Feiloaiga and Pepelele who both have ties to Olosega, Manu’a will be represented by the Olosega village.
Pouiva Reid who is 90 years old will also be recognized as the longest serving nurse who is still very active in the OBGyn Clinic.
Litara Alaimo who’s going to turn 90 next month has retired and still very active in the community and her church.
Several other aging nurses who are still active in the community who will be recognized.
The nursing association’s Centennial celebration will have the theme “Pride in our Past & Confidence in our Future.”
The festivities will be officially opened with a church service on Sunday, July 24th at the Kanana Fou Chapel.
There’ll be a parade at the Veterans Memorial Stadium on Monday to kick off the activities led by retired nurses and veteran nurses, in which nurses will be marching in the decades that they served in and will be wearing the nurses uniforms from their time.
Floats will also be part of the official opening . an awards ceremony is also on the program.
The nurses will camp out and enjoy a movie with their families, there’ll be a boat ride around the island, an awards ceremony a the finale will be a gown and black tie ball.
