Life is hard, money is everything

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 10 May 2017, 12:00AM

To cope with changes, and to ensure changes help develop our society everyone has to understand these complex problems. 

 Our young generation must understand these complex problems, to be highly knowledgeable, to be able to work collaboratively and in teams.

This is the view of Semi Toni of Leusuali’i when interviewed by the Village Voice team yesterday. 

“I admit, we don’t have anyone with a job and all we have is our small plantation.”

“I have seven children, four of them are in school and the other three are at home.”  

“The high cost of living is always the issue.”  

 “I work very hard trying to ends meet with what we have, but sometimes we literally don’t know what to do at all because I don’t have a job and my kids are too small to be working too.” 

Aged 43, Semi went on to tell about not accessing to electricity. 

“We don’t have electricity which is what we really need, especially during this rainy season.” 

“The truth is, we can’t afford it because we have no money.” 

“As you can see, bananas are all we have to earn money, but it’s not like we’re earning enough because with bananas we can only receive so much.” 

Semi depends on whatever they make from their plantation to get by every day.

This means life is hard and money is everything. 

“Without money we cannot get by because we need money for our every day needs.” 

“This is why I need help with our electricity, and as far as I know the only time we will be having electricity is when my children are old enough to have jobs.” 

With the high cost of living Semi doesn’t just sit around.

 “I know the plantation doesn’t earn that much but it’s the only way because it’s just me, my wife and my children.”   

“I used to work before but my wife got sick and I can’t afford to leave her home to care for our children,  so the plantation is all we have.  

The money is just not enough and those who deny it are scared to admit it,” he said.  

 “Not having enough money and with the very high cost of living, we shouldn’t be sitting around.” 

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 10 May 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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