All is well at Tafitoala

By Sarafina Sanerivi 30 August 2016, 12:00AM

Salevao Moleli, a resident from Tafitoala is impressed with the developments of Samoa so far. 

He made the comments during an interview with Samoa Observer last week. 

Salevao resides with his wife, Fialumā Moleli at Tafitoala with their three children. 

“We are blessed,” he says. 

“We have lots of beautiful buildings in Apia. And for our village here, everything is okay in terms of development. 

In terms of development, Salevao thinks that the only problem we have is that we have too many foreigners in Samoa. 

“We have so many Chinese,” he says.

“Not only that, but I also heard that they are also ruining things in the country… It’s okay to go and shop at the Chinese Stores but I don’t think it’s safe to eat at their restaurants because we don’t know what they will serve for us.”

Says Salevao, life in the village is simple and everything is easy there. 

“Everything is good at Tafitoala,” he says. 

My plantation is the only source of income they have. 

“We used to sell all different types of vegetables with my wife. We also have a taro plantation to help out our family economically. We sell them in front of our house.”

However, when Salevao became ill, he stopped working on his vegetable garden.

“I stopped when I went with my wife to New Zealand because I was ill.  

“Sometimes, I also look for contracts to help out with the building of people’s houses around in the village to earn extra money to help out with church donations and village as well.”

However, Salevao says the only problem they face in the village is the misbehavior of the youths. 

“This is not a new issue,” he says. 

“But it starts from family. Children’s first teachers are the parents. I am a faiava (a man married to the girl of the village) to this village. This is the village of my wife. 

“I have been witnessing what’s been happening to the students of our country. And it’s not a good thing.

“The youths who are causing troubles are the ones whom cannot be controlled by their parents.  “Most of them are influenced by others. I know this because it also happens in our village.

“One of the shops in our village has become a target of these actions. Youths from the village destroyed and broke in the shop. 

“This happens when parents cannot control the behavior of their children. But this is something that should’ve been taken care of at home by the parents. When I was young, our parents used to tell me to behave, listen and obey. But I never really understood what they meant back then. But now that I have children and a family of my own, I know that the advice and telling offs (oke) they gave me was because they wanted me to end up well. And that’s exactly what I did to my children as well. And what every parent should do.  

“He also believes that the ex-students of the different schools in Samoa are playing a role in brainwashing the younger students. 

“They manipulate the younger children and get them to follow their ways.”

By Sarafina Sanerivi 30 August 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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