As a father, your work is cut out for you.

It has everything to do with providing for your family, enabling your children to succeed and protecting them from harm.

For Samu Fatu; he admits that it’s a challenging role.

The 55-year-old from Sataoa and Sa’anapu was on his way back from the plantation when he was approached by the Village Voice team.

“A father is the head of the family and that’s why I work twice as hard to support my family,” he tells the Village Voice. “I’m responsible for my family, I’m accountable about how I bring them up and raise my family.”

A farmer, he said he does his best to provide food and money.

 “I also love working because it’s not for anybody else but for my loved ones; when I have enough strength on other days I sell crops sometimes to earn money for family, church and village obligations.

 “When I earn more than I usually do from the plantation then I put some money aside to help my children’s education.

“I have five children and one of them has a family of his own now.

He added “It’s true that the mother is responsible for keeping the family together, she also plays the role of being an advisor to the children and responsible for most of the things in our homes but the father is the one who has the strength to work hard to develop the life of his children and also the one who has to be strong when things go wrong.

“A word to all the fathers out there, don’t push all your family duties on your wives, it is your job to make things easier for your family.”

Mr. Fatu also added that he enjoys raising his children in the rural village.

 “Not only it’s peaceful but I think it’s the perfect place for them to learn the proper Samoan ways especially being respectful of people.”