Farming is a lifestyle for Taka

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 03 June 2018, 12:00AM

Life may be a struggle for some people, but for 20-year-old Taka Maoga, he believes there is always a solution for every problem.

The Village Voice team met the lad from Luatuanuu while he was making his way home with some taros from his plantation yesterday for today’s to’ana’i. 

He believes the answer of everyday struggles is the soil.

“Of course life is a struggle but we have to find ways to make sure we can survive,” he said.

“I see and hear people talk about struggles and most of them it’s financially, but there is always a solution and for this in particular, I believe owning a plantation is the answer.”

“I know some people look down on farmers but in honest truth, farmers are the richest people in the world.”

“Take me for example. I stopped going to school at a very young age so my education is very low but I believe I get more money than most of the office people in our country.”

The 20-year-old has a plantation in the highlands of Luatuanuu and that is his office every day.

“I would wake up early in the morning so that I can catch the cool breeze of the morning,” he said.

“I would work on my plantation until the evening then I would come home.”

“When all is ready, I would sell the taros to get money but I don’t go to the market, I sell them here in our village on the side of the road.”

“If the day is good I would earn $100 a day so you do the Math, if I have to sell every day I earn $500 or even more a week, which is more than what an office person is earning in a week.”

“I am happy with what I’m doing because I get to be my own boss, and I work very hard because I know this is what is helping my family.”

Mr. Maoga is not married but he lives with his parents and looks after them.

“Our plantation is what we rely on financially, especially with village and church commitments,” he said.

“I know it’s hard work but you know hard work pays off and in this life if we don’t sweat we get nothing.”

“If we don’t work hard we will forever struggle, but like I said before, there is always a solution for every problem and I believe this is a solution that we need to look at.”

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 03 June 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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