Poverty has taken a toll on Neetia Pule.

Not being able to provide the best for her 4 children has left the unemployed mother from Tapatapao devastated. 

Mrs. Pule has a 2-year-old who was born premature and up until now, the baby still cannot walk. This is the reason she has second thoughts about looking for a job.

They have no land and a house of their own and for the past two years they have been moving from one place to another. 

“Just recently that we relocated to this place. We use to live high up in the mountains because we had another family house there, but it was not safe for my children,” Mrs. Pule shared with the Village Voice team. 

“This is not our home. We live here at my husband’s cousin’s house. A while back before we moved to Tapatapao we were living with my family in the rural area.” 

“I feel sorry for my children because they are dragged from one place to another but there is nothing that we could do about it. We just don’t have the money to have our own land and a proper house,” said the 44-year-old.

Adding to her burdens is living in a rundown shack with no stable water supply and electricity.

“Everywhere I turn there is always a problem, I am financially struggling. There are too many things that need to be done, but there is no money to carry out the task.”

“We have been living here for five months now and we have no power in the house. To have electricity makes cooking much easier.”

The journey has been hard for her, even though they work the land to earn a living, it is still not enough.

“We sell our crops and vegetables at the market to earn some cash, but the problem is there are many other different people who also sell their crops,” Mrs. Pule said. 

“Not every day we receive money from selling bananas and taros. There are times customers will not buy anything from us. 

“My baby, who still can’t walk, barely eats but mostly wants milk. It is a hard case trying to budget the money that we earn.”

“My eldest kid attends Vaitele Primary School. There are certain times he does not attend school because we don’t have money for bus fare.”

“It is very difficult for our family because my children are still young.”

For anyone who is willing to help Mrs. Pule and her family, contact the number 7248074.