Moevani Togia lives by the day

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 07 October 2018, 12:00AM

A mother will do everything to ensure her family survives and 38-year-old Moevani Togia of Toamua uta is no different.

The mother of four has been living with her four children, her husband as well as her mother-in-law under one roof and is also six months pregnant.

The family lives in a modest home with a corrugated iron roof supported by about six thick wooden posts and a large canvass that can be rolled down, to protect the family from rain and bad weather. Their view possessions included a gas stove, baskets with clothing and linen, and mats that were placed on the wood floor boards to make it comfortable. They have access to water and electricity, but found their ability to generate a decent income to sustain their livelihood a big struggle. 

She said her husband does not work but they sell banana chips to earn a living.

However, at this time the season for bananas is over hence their struggle.

When the Village Voice Team arrived Ms. Togia was frying some bananas to sell.

She said with four children and one more child on the way, life has not been fair on them.

“My husband doesn’t work but he works at his plantation and that is how we are able to earn a living. However, at this time the banana season is finished and so the money that we get from our chips, my husband would go and buy banana bunch so we could make our chips.”

“For one bunch of banana we make about 20 packets of chips we would make about 50 and sell it for $1. The money we get daily will help us with our daily needs as well as our children’s education,” she said in an interview. 

Ms. Togia said she cannot complain but knows she will do anything and everything to ensure her children attend school every day.

“Life is hard but as mothers we have to ensure our families are okay,” she added.

Her children’s welfare is a focus for her as well as her mother-in-law, who is living with them. 

“As you can see we live in a very small house and I know my husband and I as well as our children need to have some privacy and I know my mother feels the same way too. But this is all we can afford, we have to be patience at the moment and live together.”

“My mother can’t do much anymore because she’s at that age but I can see that she really wants to help but I told her not to worry. At this age all she needs to do is to be happy.”

Ms. Togia said with the White Sunday celebrations around the corner, she hopes and pray that her children will be able to have a proper to’anai.

“My children know of our situation but as a mother I want then to be able to enjoy this one day. A proper to’ana’i will do or ice cream for them as we know this is the children’s favorite is ice cream, new clothes for White Sunday doesn’t matter as long as they are happy, I’m okay.”

If you want to help Ms. Togia you can contact her on the mobile number 7246779.

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 07 October 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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