A 40-year-old farmer is calling on Government to think of the people. 

Sio Kele, from the village of Faleasi’u, made known his views while referring to the increasing cost of living in Samoa today. 

He says Government needs to consider underprivileged families who struggle to make ends meet every day.

“Our Government needs to reassess the cost of living because people are suffering.

“They are investing a lot of money on the new prison rather than investing for people who do not have access to water.”

And dealing with daily financial demands every day is Mr. Kele’s reality.  

“I live with my mother and my sister and her kids who are still in school.”

“I am responsible for supporting my family through my plantation and the sea.”

“Things are really hard for us because no one works and they all depend on me.”

Mr. Kele was on his way to his plantation when the Village Voice team met him.

“I think for Samoa, if families don’t have land to work on, they will not survive.”

“We are so lucky that we have land to work on because some families don’t have people who work regular jobs just like my family.”

“So their land and plantation saves them from starving and dying of hunger because of the lack of job opportunities.”

Mr. Kele says his family earns enough money from selling his crops. 

“I only go fishing twice a week, but I go to the plantation almost every day because we need food from there too.”

“When I have enough crops to harvest, I will take it to the market in order to provide money for us and our family.”

“It is good money, but the problem is that when you receive money, there is always some obligation there to spend the money on.”

Life is really hard and everything here in Samoa is about money, Mr. Kele added.