After twelve months of hard work coupled with delays brought on by the COVID-19 lockdown, the Maluselu family finally opened their new home at Vaiusu on Saturday.

The family celebrated the opening of their new home called the "Laoa i Tofiga" with village members joining the celebration.

The house, which cost the family about $80,000 in expenses, is expected to host village council meetings and extended family events and was made possible with the support of the new chiefs of the family.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer in an interview, chief and a member of the family, Ulugia Lomalasi said their prayers have been answered as their family was the only one without a proper house to host village meetings.

“With a traditional village like Vaiusu, we were the only family who couldn’t host a proper village meeting for so many years, as our house was tattered so we thought we’d change that and today, we’re very blessed and proud to say we finally did it,” he said.

“It was disconcerting to see other families having beautiful houses while our house was falling apart.

“This whole work was mainly made possible with the efforts of the newly bestowed chiefs of this family. This is the beginning of their service to the family.”

Traditionally, the Maluselu title is known as the spokesperson for the Seiuli title in Vaiusu village’s customs and traditions.

Currently, there is growing concern within the community of the behaviour of Vaiusu youth who are becoming disobedient and not listening to their families. 

It is an issue that the village council plans to address and the opening of the new home of the Maluselu family will enable them to host one of the village meetings with a view to finding a way forward. 

“Even in other villages, this is the behaviour seen in the youths and for Vaiusu itself, we’re planning to target this use by getting these youth to sit down in the meetings and teach them the right path,” Ulugia added.

Maluselu family members rejoiced in the opening of their new home with tiled floor and traditionally designed timbered poles.