Rain or shine, Mua is working

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 21 March 2017, 12:00AM

Rain or shine, Mua Misa Vaofusi, from Siufaga Falelatai, is working.

The 63-year-old mother of 10 grown children said she doesn’t want to be lazy otherwise her children will suffer.

When the Village Voice team arrived yesterday, she was weeding grass in the boiling sun. With a small umbrella covering her skull, she was still smiling.

“Life is tough,” she said. “But I thank God for strength and wisdom. I thank God for resources to help us look after our families.

“As a mother, if you don’t have that heart to love your family and your children, you won’t make it in life.” 

“We mothers are very important within every family. We are the ones who bring the family together and that is what I do with my family. 

“For me personally I can do fatherly duties as well.” 

At her age, most mothers will be slowing down.

They will be looking to relax and staying away from hard labour.

But that’s not Mua.

 “To be honest, this is me,” she said.

 “No matter how old I am, and how tired I am most of the time, I always want to go to work to help provide for my family to the best of my ability.

“Life for us Samoan mothers isn’t easy,” she explained. 

“A lot of the weight falls on the shoulders of us mothers. We are expected to do so much; we take care of this and that; we do most of the chores here at home.”

Mua said her children have grown and many of them now have families of their own. They all help her where they can.

But this is why she is determined to work even harder.

“I don’t want to be a burden to them,” she said.  “Also I can’t stop my duty as a mother because I’m used to it. I want to do it over and over again. I also try to make sure that my family is safe.”

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 21 March 2017, 12:00AM

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