FMT in partnership with The Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) brings you a Covid-19 “healer” from Samoa.

Diana Li was stranded in Samoa once the island went into outbreak last year. The island had been severely affected by a measles outbreak the year before, hence the Samoan government didn’t take any chances; all inbound and outbound travels were immediately halted.

Having only planned to just spend five days on the island, Diana was in a tough spot, with almost no cash and no way to retrieve funds from her bank accounts. Panicking, she wrote on Facebook that she was stuck and needed help.

Thankfully, Diana’s involvement in Hong Kong’s rugby community saved her.

Like many Pacific Islands, Samoa is mad about rugby and thanks to members of the global rugby community who read Diana’s Facebook post, Diana was put in touch with people in Samoa.

In no time, Diana was approached by total strangers offering to help by providing meals, drinks, and places to stay.

One motorcycle rental service even loaned her a bike, free-of-charge, to use while public transport was halted.

A local government official also arranged for a tour of Apia, the Samoan capital. The official arranged for a bus to take her around, and invited Diana to join his family for lunch every week.

Diana’s time in Samoa ended after three months, with many gestures of goodwill from absolute strangers.

Diana’s motto is ‘mentality dominates destiny’. In her spare time, she is a keen lover of scuba diving, sailing, golf, Muay Thai, surfing and travelling – often all within the same trip. And she never stops learning in life. 

‘The Other Hundred Healers’ is an initiative by the non-profit organisation GIFT. The 240-page, full-colour, hardcover book can be purchased here at US$40 per copy for a minimum order of 20 copies.