‘Do the best you can with whatever you have’

By Ilia L Likou 02 December 2017, 12:00AM

You will always face struggles in life if you don’t use your hands to work. That is the perspective of Pulemalie Kelepi from Faleula-uta.

Speaking to the Village Voice team yesterday, the 60-year-old said he continues to work at the plantation to help his family.

“As you can see, I’m working on my own,” he said. 

“When I was little, I looked at how my parents worked to provide for me and I’ve learned from them because they are hardworking people.

“That’s me every day, and the same life that I want my children to grow up in.”

He was spotted by the Village Voice team while clearing rubbish in front of his house.

“Those who are not working are the ones complaining,” Pulemalie said. 

“We all know what’s happening to everyone because of the cost of living and how expensive it is but we have to work everything out to the best of our abilities.

 “For those who are working, they know how it is.

“A person is poor and has nothing because they are not working; money comes from your work.”

Pulemalie said all his children have grown up.

“I wanted them to live their lives to the best they can and they have to try in everything that they know would help them in the future.

“I told them, if you want good things in the future, you’ve got to work.

“You know they might not be as hard working as me if they don’t think of something good because the only future I can imagine from depending on other people is getting poorer and I don’t want that.

“I don’t want them to want something and they can’t get it themselves.

“That’s how it is nowadays, but one thing about people who are like that, if you don’t work for your children and support your family, we all know the end result.

“If we don’t work then the only thing we get is nothing and I mean absolutely nothing.”

Aside from that, Pulemalie said that some of the changes happening in Samoa nowadays were not good.

“Especially when we are looking at technology,” he said.

“This is why the chiefs need to maintain the Samoan culture because Samoa is meant to be governed by chiefs and that’s how it should always be.

“I think if we are strong enough, we can still maintain our way of living.”

By Ilia L Likou 02 December 2017, 12:00AM

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