Samoa’s expensive reality

By Sarafina Sanerivi 06 December 2016, 12:00AM

Ana Matagitau Salevaga, from the village of Leauvaa, says so much has changed in Samoa and it’s not looking good for those who are not well-off.

Aged 45, Ana explains how high the cost of living has gotten in Samoa and it is affecting many families. She says that there is no leniency shown to family’s who are already struggling to make a living.

“So much has changed in Samoa,” Ana explained.

“One of the changes is the prices for everything in the shops; it’s so expensive. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of leniency towards the people, especially for those who struggle.

“It’s not like back in the days when everything was a lot more affordable for our people.”

Ana says that she misses the old days where you could get things at the shops for just a few cents.

“Back then we could get some bread for just 10 cents,” she said.

“We could find things at the shops which were very cheap and it was a big help for families who didn’t earn that much money.

“There is nothing like that anymore. Right now a lot of people have to walk long distances just to see which shop sells goods at a lower price so that they can save a few cents.”

She continued on to explain how there are many in Samoa who suffer the same way due to the high cost of living.

“Many families are in the same boat,” Ana said.

“We have to deal with putting children through school; we have bills to pay and then taking care of the family every single day.

 “So with everything costing an arm and a leg these days, it makes life just that much harder for us. Some of my children are holding steady jobs right now but when they get their pay, it’s nowhere near enough.” Even with a few of her children working employed jobs, Ana still says that with the high cost of living, their pay is still not enough.

“My children would get paid on Friday and it will be finished before Sunday and that’s the day we need money,” she said.

“The cost of living is ridiculous and many of us suffer because of it. My family also have a plantation to take some pressure off of those in the family who have jobs.

“The plantation is also our way of dealing with the high cost of living. My advice to those families who struggle is to try their best to deal with the issues through their plantation.

“On the other hand, I have a request for the government because they are the ones who deal with companies popping here and there.

“I humbly ask the government to please help give the struggling families of Samoa some leniency when it comes to pricing the goods.”

By Sarafina Sanerivi 06 December 2016, 12:00AM

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