Many Samoan people have left the country to seek a better future overseas.

They see greener pastures there and that is what Arona Samuelu is planning to do.

Coming from the villages of Aleisa and Faleula, the 30-year-old was on his way home when the Village Voice caught up with him.

“Samoa is still my home but I need to have something better to depend on.

“At the meantime, lucky there’s a plantation because without that, I don’t know what else to do.

“I’ve been looking for a job for such a long time that up to now, I still have nothing.”

Mr. Samuelu has a wife and despite how much they want to have children, but they can’t at the moment considering their situation.

They are staying together with his sisters who are helping them out.

“My wife is currently overseas with her father; working on our paperwork.

“We just want to move out of the country to find more opportunities for us to work and make a good living.

“And we were thinking of moving to Australia.

“The taro, taamu and bananas don’t always guarantee a stable income and as long as it’s like that, I don’t think our family will have any chance of growing.

“In Australia, I’ve heard stories about how there are plenty of openings, job opportunities and I consider those things as blessings.

“All you have to do is just go out there and grab it. If you really want something, you got to do whatever it takes until you get there.

“Working in overseas countries can also help us by making our heavy loads lighter because you don’t have to contribute to anything.

“But in Samoa, there are still a lot of obligations that you must attend to, must contribute into and you know we can’t really say no because it’s our culture.

“So hopefully good things happen for us when we move soon.”