Living on two to three buckets of water a day is a challenge for a family of six, but they are thankful for their kind neighbours.

For Ronny Tamaese, 35, of Falefa that is the life he lives with his wife and four children in a small traditional Samoan home. Their plight continues to challenge him. 

“Our family’s main concern is having access to water. Water has so many uses, which is why it is not only a necessity in life, but also very useful in so many ways.

“At the moment our family depends on two to three buckets of water a day, which we are so grateful to our neighbours for sharing their water, so it can help us survive,” he said. 

The two to three bucks of water—which their neighbours supply on a daily basis—is used on the essential needs for the family. 

“We use the water for various reasons like bathing, cooking our food, washing dishes but most importantly we need it for drinking which is why it is significant that we wisely allocate its portions daily.”

The family’s living conditions continues to be a worry for the father. 

“As you can see our home is quite small. But the problem is that not only that the roof leaks during heavy rainfall, but water is able to get inside the house.

“Because we do not have tarpaulin in the front, so we have we make use of the small area at the back of our home, with the resources we have to protect my children from getting wet in case they might get sick.

“It is due to these reasons we need a proper home. Our home is vulnerable especially during natural disasters like cyclones which our country experiences frequently,” he added. 

Ronny said he wakes up every morning and prays the country does not go through another natural disaster, as their house would not be able to stand the forces of nature. 

“And I fear for the lives of my young children, I do not care what happens to me but my kids are my first priority. It is more worrisome now, because Samoa is at that time of the year where we experience cyclones and heavy rainfall.”

The family’s home does not have access to electricity, which the father acknowledged is due to their financial difficulties. 

Ronny’s family has challenges but life must go on for them, which is why they depend on the plantation for food and a small income generated from the sale of fish.

“I am a fisherman, so I depend on the sea to make a living by fishing and with whatever I can acquire from the ocean, I then sell in the village to get an income so my family can allocate it for weekly expenses.

“If I am fortunate I can get a $100 from the fish I sell and that is during times of good sales. We also depend greatly towards our plantation for source of food which is something we are very blessed with,” he added. 

If you are willing to help the family of Ronny Tamaese contact the number 7228240.