- Solosolo
Solosolo is a small village on the
Samoa n island ofUpolu . It is located on the northeast coast of the island.The village has an approximate population of 2,000 people, living on the small peninsula jutting out into the sea and bounded by Vainamo bay in the west and Mulivai river to the east. Settlement has grown well into the plantation hinterland in the hills above Vainamo and reaches at least 200m inland. The upland and lowland portions of the village are separated by the main east coast road connecting Solosolo to Apia (30 minutes west) and eastern Upolu to the east.
At the cross-roads of the village between the upland and peninsula, sits the village council maota fono. It is here that the chiefs of all the families of the village meet regularly to deliberate on the political, social, and economic affairs of the village. It is guided by the faalupega of Solosolo, which acts as a constitution for governance.
Faalupega o SolosoloAfio le paia o le Taofia o Malietoa Taulapapa ma le latou tama, Tupo-le-Sava,Afio maia le paia o le Usoalii ma e na 'au i Ao,Maliu maia le mamalu o Saleutogipo'e, o le limamatua o Faleupolu tofiga
The main malae of Solosolo is on the peninsula. This is where the major ceremonies and sporting events take place, and like any Samoan village is the centre of the village. The malae is bordered to the west by the Congregational Christian Church and to the east by the Catholic Church, which were the two original churches of the village. In recent times, the village has acquired a Methodist, Nazarene, Assembly of God, and Latter Day Saints churches as well. The local primary school sits on the upland part of Solosolo and can be accessed by an inland sealed road.
Given its susceptibility to past cyclones and the mountainous terrain of the area, Solosolo's infrastructure is particularly sensitive to natural disaster. The government constructed a seawall in 2006 to ring the Vainamo bay to protect the main east coast road and the bridge over the Namo river to the west of the bay, from wave damage during cyclones. The bay is still renowned for surfing and is popular with foreign and local advanced surfers alike.
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