People deserve help from the government

By Ilia L Likou 29 September 2017, 12:00AM

The government needs to address the high cost of living. That is the belief of Va’a Foloi of Neiafu Savaii.

The 57 year old is quite disappointed and sad about the current situation whereas everything is expensive. 

“I read the Samoa Observer newspaper and sometimes I read about the reality some people are struggling in the Village Voice section of the newspaper.” 

“It is heartbreaking, and I can relate to that reality,” she told the Village Voice. 

“Savaii may be far away from Upolu but we are still one country and I argue that the government must help these people.” 

“I can understand the pain they are going through just to make ends meet and I tell you; it’s not something that anyone wants to experience.”

“You know back in our days; it was easy to get a can of fish for just $1.50 and now look at today; most of the time we cannot afford that because it’s $4+ is the current price.” 

“Nobody wants to live on just fa’alifu taro and lemon leaves (laumoli) tea day in and day out.” 

“As humans we crave for other foods but sadly most of the time, what we want to eat is expensive.” 

“If other people can afford good food then don’t you think other people deserve this chance as well?” 

“Looking at the prices of the chickens and muttons and sometimes I just sleep to avoid being hungry,” she said. 

Va’a also stressed another critical issue is the lack of employment.

“We know today that it’s hard to find jobs.” 

“I mean even if you hold a certificate; it’s not really that easy to get a job anymore.” 

“And when we don’t have jobs, we don’t have money.” 

“What happens if we don’t have money?”

“We can’t afford to pay for our own survival,” said Va’a. 

“I know most of us turn to the lands for help but you don’t just throw a cucumber seed on the ground and then it grows immediately, no.”

“For everything to grow it needs a lot of work and it needs chemicals.” 

“All of that involves money and we deserve easy access to programmes that can help us develop our plantations.”

“What I’m trying to say, is that it is the government’s duty to provide more job opportunities for our people because that is where is money is made.”

“If the cost of living is high, if the work we do is hard, we deserve to be treated fairly and we deserve good paying jobs,” said Va’a.

By Ilia L Likou 29 September 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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