It is high time the government of Samoa listens to the plight of the people.

This is the opinion of Asi Alofa, a 50-year-old father from Falelauniu while referring to the struggles faced by the people of Samoa.

And the expensive cost of living does not ease our daily burden, he adds. 

Asi said our daily struggles painted the reality of many families in Samoa. 

He is frustrated with the expensive cost of living that his family and most other families in Samoa are facing. 

“I just want to voice this out to the government for they should know and understand our struggle of trying to cover daily needs from day to day,” he told the Village Voice team yesterday.

“The struggle we go through to make ends meet every day is the real picture of many families in Samoa today and that’s not a lie.

“All I can do now is to thank God for his love that makes us strong every day.”

Asi says whatever income he receives is not enough to cater for his family’s daily expenses.

“When we get paid, almost all our pay goes straight to loans, and other stuff,” he said.

“Then all you see in your pocket is just a few cents for you and your children to survive. I tell you everyone is struggling these days and we have so much on our shoulders.

“The government should do something while we still have time.”

Asi feels that the leaders of the country are not really seeing the struggles the people are experiencing every day. 

“Ministers are too busy voicing out their opinions in Parliament and try to make themselves look good to people, but in reality nothing is being addressed.

“We still have families that don’t have access to water, road damage is everywhere, and I mean totally nothing.

“They hardly come up with something good for the people of Samoa because they ‘really’ don’t care about us.

“They’re too busy every day.”

To Asi, walking into a shop with $100, is like walking in with nothing. 

“It’s like you just buy one or two items then all your wages vanish and everyone is living that life here in Samoa, and that’s why our people move to New Zealand and Australia.

“Life in our own country is expensive.

 “I must admit that my family does not have much and I know this is the reality for many families in Samoa.

“Dealing with budgeting every week is really difficult and I believe that without hard work there is no survival for many of the families in Samoa,” Asi said.