Mataafa Faatino Masunu Utumapu

Mataafa Faatino Masunu Utumapu is a prominent Samoan disability rights advocate and the General Manager of Nuanua O Le Alofa (NOLA), the national advocacy organisation for persons with disabilities in Samoa. A proud matai (chief), Sunday school teacher and church leader, she embodies servant leadership grounded in faith, culture, and justice.

Mataafa is one of only 10 disability leaders selected from across the Pacific to form the Pacific Disability Forum’s Regional Resource Team, tasked with advancing the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Her work has had transformative impact in Samoa and across the region, where she champions inclusive policies and holds governments accountable for the rights and dignity of all persons with disabilities.

In recognition of her unwavering leadership and advocacy, Mataafa has received numerous accolades, including the Human Rights Justice Award from Samoa’s National Human Rights Institution, the Disability Pacifica Award, and the Samoa Observer Person of the Year Award. She was also honored by the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development as a “Faaee Malama” – a woman leader who represents the strength of the past, the vision of the present, and the hope of the future.

Single and wholly devoted to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities, Mataafa is a powerful voice for those often unheard. She continues to lead with humility, courage, and conviction.

“My work is not charity – it is justice. And justice must not wait.”