From the land to the sea, no rest for hard working man

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 28 December 2017, 12:00AM

Being the man of the house is not easy.

Just ask 33-year-old Sapati Togatuki of Nofoali’i-uta and he will tell you all about it.

The Village Voice caught up with him while he was cleaning up his land in the hot sun. But he is not exactly a full time farmer.

“I don’t work but I’m a fisherman and that is my source of income,” he said.

The money he makes is used to look after his elderly mother and family.

 “I go fishing at night and do my chores and look after my family in the day time.

“My wife and I have nine children. We live inland but my elderly mother lives in the main village so I look after my children as well as my elderly mother.”

Sapati said from his fishing, he earns more than $400 a week.

“So I go fishing from Tuesday to Thursday because I deliver to Farmer Joe every Fridays and that is how I am able to provide for my family,” he said.

“I believe I earn more from what I do than some of the people working in offices and that is why I don’t need to find a job.

“I have a job and I am my own boss I don’t get any deductions or any sort of things straight up cash and I am happy.

“With that money during school times, I would buy a whole box chicken and a whole pack of rice and we would put it in the fridge and that is for my children’s lunches to school.

“But at the moment I put aside money for their schooling next year.

“It’s hard but my children are my main concern and I prioritize them and their school because they are the future of this family.”

Speaking of hardships, Sapati praises the Chinese businesses for helping bring down the cost of living.

“Most people are complaining about the many Chinese businesses everywhere, however I believe these are the businesses that are actually helping us,” he said.

“I mean with the cost of living, yes there are some cheap products that don’t last but take for example the price of stuffs like chicken, rise, sugar and so forth.

“At least the Chinese are concern about the people because if you go to the local shops they are more expensive and they think only of getting a profit rather than thinking of their own people.

“We need to give credit to these Chinese businesses that are actually helping the people.

“We talk about the high cost of living but the truth is our own people are the ones who are making us suffer.”

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 28 December 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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