Kalani Faagata and her husband Asuelu Pulaa rose to fame in the sixth season of 90 Day Fiance.
Kalani, a Samoan-American, was on vacation in Samoa when she met Asuelu. Asuelu worked at the resort where Kalani was staying, and the two hit it off.
Asuelu took Kalani’s virginity, and she returned home to California pregnant. After she gave birth to the couple’s son Oliver nine months later, Kalani and Asuelu decided that they wanted to live together as a family in America.
They applied for the K-1 visa, their journey documented on the show.
Eventually, Kalani and Asuelu got married, had a second child, and moved to Utah, where they now live. The family appears to be very happy and documents their lives on social media.
They regularly appear on 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk.
This week, Kalani took a break from her regular family updates to bring attention to a significant issue: domestic violence in Samoa.
Kalani raises awareness about the problem
Many Americans know very little about Samoa, let alone the problems that its people experience. Kalani is trying to change that.
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Kalani described how big the problem of domestic violence is in Samoa and American Samoa.
Kalani details two recent domestic violence cases, both of which resulted in a woman’s death at the hands of her partner.
According to the Global Database on Violence Against Women, the rate of Lifetime Physical or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence is 46%. The UN’s Gender Inequality Index puts Samoa at #106 of 187 ranked countries for equality of genders.
“How many more of our women have to die at the hands of our men before there’s a cultural shift away from domestic violence?” Kalani captioned her post. “Domestic violence plagues our islands, and it’s become far too common for our people to downplay these disgusting acts”
Kalani also gave out resources for any Samoans experiencing domestic violence.
“If you are being abused, PLEASE call the Samoa Police Domestic Violence Unit at 22222 or the Samoa Victim Support Group Hotline at 800-7974,” she advised.
She also encouraged her followers to pray that Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi addresses the issue soon.
Fans respond
Kalani’s followers chimed in to support of the reality star. Some offered information about domestic violence in their own countries.
Fans from South Africa, the Dominican Republic, and more chimed in.
Hopefully, Kalani’s call to action will make a difference and help eliminate the domestic violence problem in Samoa and beyond.
90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk airs on Sundays at 11/10c on TLC.