Plea for water tank

By Nefertiti Matatia 19 March 2018, 12:00AM

Manu Taefu has one wish this Easter.

She dreams of a water tank – something that will make life much easier for her.

She’s lived in Tanumapua for 14 years and there has been no steady water supply.

This is her reality. It is an ongoing battle for her family of five.

 “Whenever the sun comes out, we worry because we need the rain. We live relying on the rain. We have water gallons that are always ready for the rain.

“The challenging part is the hot sun and we would need to get our buckets of water from my uncle’s place. 

“He lives not far from us, but it is mostly his place that we head to for water. It is a hassle,” said the 28-year-old.

She also mentioned the condition of their house.

“Our house is open. So there are mosquitoes everywhere. 

“The problem is that we don’t have mosquito nets and illnesses carried around by the mosquitoes are what worry us. I don’t think the mosquito coils can stop them from coming into our home.”

Ms. Taefu shared: “The foundation of the house is not cemented and some of the wood of the house is starting to lose its value. It is getting old.

“There is a major possibility that someone will get hurt because I don’t think the house is stable.”

She adds that life for her family is not easy. Having only one employed person is not enough to provide for their family.

“The only person who works is my younger brother and he gets paid weekly. 

“He sometimes works two days a week or even three. If he works for two days, he will receive $60 and $90 for three days.

“The money my brother makes is not enough to supply everything that we need in the house. We mostly spend money on food and cash power.

“Food is where most of the money goes to and I think it has become costly as well,” she said.

They don’t have a proper kitchen or cupboard to keep their plates. It is placed on a shelf that they built themselves.

Despite their situation, she is thankful that there aren’t many people in their family.

“We are lucky that we don’t have a big family. It is just my siblings and mother that we live together with. It makes cooking easier when there aren’t many people to feed, especially when there’s no stable water supply.

“There is only one child in our house and that is my sister’s kid.”

For anyone who is willing to help this family, contact the number 7650331.

By Nefertiti Matatia 19 March 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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