Coconut seller on the look out for formal work

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

Tepa Misi of Siusega knows a thing or two about scaling those tall coconut trees and selling green coconuts.

It is because that is how he has been able to look after his family for as long as he can remember.

But he wants more. He wants a job.

 “A man’s job to take care of the family never ends until he leaves the earth,” he told the Village Voice.

 “Life is hard, that is a fact. But what you make of it is up to you. You can either nag about it or just get up and get things underway for an easier life.”

For Tepa, farming and subsistence living has been their way of life

“I grew up and saw my parents doing it and I’m doing the same.

“My family and I live on planting crops for sale.

“We live off of our plantation and it provides all that my family needs.”

Every day, Tepa fetches green coconuts, collects the fallen ones and then take it with his other crops to sell at the market.

 “Usually I sell 30 green coconuts and if the crops are good to harvest I would sell some too. 

“When I make the sales, that’s the only time I see the money because I have to give all of it to my father.” 

With no one working, Tepa said he wants a job.

“The only issue we face is that no one holds a steady job and there’s too many of us working at the plantation.

 “I use to work at looking after our neighbour’s house but I stayed back to start our plantation. 

“Now my family can look after the plantation, and I want to go back to work again.”

Any job would do.

 “I don’t have a wife or kids so you don’t have to worry about me missing a day at work or being late,” he said. 

“I want to have a steady job like the one before because those kinds of jobs we get to have savings like N.P.F.

“I’m good at cleaning compounds, monitoring homes; growing crops and other hard labour work.” 

Tepa can be contacted on 7204494.

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

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>