A family’s humble home

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 20 February 2018, 12:00AM

Having daughters mean parents have to be on protective mode all the time. 

That is the belief of Si’usega Taofia of Fusi Safata when she spoke with the Village Voice team yesterday at her residence. 

Si’usega lives in a small square house with no windows and no door, it is a struggle. 

The 51-year-old mother said her husband is a bus driver and collects $200 weekly, which is only enough for food, cash power, school tuition and lunch for the girls. 

“It is never enough and so as a mum I don’t know where I can get any financial assistance to help with a proper house for my girls. 

“At this time and age, we can never be too cautious when it comes to protecting our girls, especially with what we hear on the news, it is just scary,” said the mother. 

“With the rape cases, I can never sit still when my daughters don’t get home on time, I will go and look for them,” she said. 

She shared that the house she hopes to have will need windows and doors. 

“As long as the body of the house is boarded, I can live with that so that I can sleep peacefully at night knowing that no one will enter the house.

“I’m 51 years old, my two other daughters have just moved to New Zealand and they are looking for jobs and trying to get on their feet with their recent migration. 

“I am left with nowhere to turn for a stable house for my girls because we just cannot afford it,” said Si’usega. 

“I pray and hope that someone who has the ability to lend a hand will send help our way, it would be greatly appreciated,” she said. 

Si’usega said their family has stable water and electricity supply and they are grateful for the Government in assuring the families in Fusi have access to these daily necessities.  

Regarding the cost of living, Si’usega says the increase in cost of goods does not match with how much people make. 

“It’s very unbalanced and I don’t see why people make less only to pay for something that costs much more than their hourly rate. 

“It’s kind of unfair,” she said.

“But what can you do when that is how things work nowadays.”

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 20 February 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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