Many challenges when you are poor

By Nefertiti Matatia 26 November 2017, 12:00AM

It is said children are priceless treasures. 

To give our children everything is what many parents want but unfortunately this is not the case for Moamoa Kitiona.

“I want to give my children a better life not to live in poverty like how I did. Everything that I had to live with throughout my entire life is the same thing that my children are now going through,” she said.

The mother of five said both she and her husband were not employed so they relied on selling coconuts.

They earn $20 a day or less at times.

To face her children every day is very heartbreaking for her. 

There are so many things that her children cry for, but she cannot afford them.

“Children will always be children, they want this and that. They are so innocent that they don’t understand the struggle that we are going through. 

“It is very heartbreaking because on special days I can’t treat them or do what they ask for. We basically don’t have any money to treat them.”

Moamoa is from Lotofaga-Uta and she says that it is not just being unable to give them what they want; they cannot give them a comfortable home as well which is what she has to live with every day.

“I feel sorry for my children. We only have one mosquito net and no mattress to sleep on. Not only that, our tap is far away from the house. So if we want water we usually chase our eldest eight-year- old son with the bucket to get the water to wash the dishes, cook the food and also water for the bathroom. 

We don’t have a refrigerator as well,” she added.

Being a mother is the greatest gift for the 29-year-old but it comes with so many challenges, especially if you are poor.

“We cannot afford any garbage bags to put the rubbish in. We just put it in a broken basket and wait for the rubbish truck to take away our rubbish. 

“Life is very hard. 

“If we are lucky then we might have sardines for dinner. If not, then we only have taro for dinner. I love being a mum but it burdens me to see my children living like this,” she told the Village Voice team yesterday.

Moamoa said that she is thankful for her children because they always appreciate what they have despite not having a television or any toys for. 

Her two older children are both in school and the other three young ones stay with her, but regardless of being very poor, she still wants her children to get a better education to have a flourishing life ahead of them.

By Nefertiti Matatia 26 November 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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