When the going gets tough, Pau gets going

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 26 April 2017, 12:00AM

When life gets tough, the tough gets going.

The line sums up the life of 47-year-old Paû Iani, who lives with her husband and children at Moamoa.

“If there is one thing I have learned about life is that its tough,” she said.

“Every day is a struggle to make ends meet, and if you don’t have a job you cannot guarantee the future of your children will be in good hands.” 

“I never wish for anything more than to be able to have the strength everyday to work for our children.” 

Paû works with her husband at the Goshen Trust. 

“We both work because we  want to have more than enough for our everyday life.” 

“And we pray to God for his loving care upon us so that we still have the strength to work.”

“As you can see, my husband and I take shifts at work. He left early at 3 o’clock and got back 7 in the evening when I start at 7 and come home at 3.”

“In doing this we make sure one of us must be home to look after the kids and be there for them.”

Asked about their motivation, she said it’s her children. 

“Our aim is to have more than enough for the future,” she said.

“To me, we are not living in the past anymore.” 

“We cannot hide the fact that finding food is hard and for all we know we are moving forward.” 

“And if you look at it, if we don’t work the best of our ability we are not going anywhere but maintain stressed and struggle.”  

She added that actions speak louder than words.

“This is why we work hard,” she said. “We don’t want to just tell our children we love them and not back it up by hard work and showing to them that we meant it.”

Paû is originally from Savai’i but she has moved to Upolu in search of a better future.

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 26 April 2017, 12:00AM

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