The threat of the cyclone season has got an elderly mother of four worried about the condition of their home.

Eseta Alofa lives with her family on the southwest coast of Upolu island near the main road. 

Her home is made of corrugated iron roof supported by wooden posts and broken blue tarpaulins, which are dropped to serve as a wall during bad weather, but can barely, keep out the rain.

On a rainy Saturday morning, she was going about her daily chores when the Samoa Observer visited.

The 66-year-old has shared that due to their home being old, it is quite prune to strong winds. 

“We have been living here for over ten years and our home is becoming unstable,” she said.

Ms. Alofa stated that her fears have increased due to bad weather being experienced recently.

“My main concern is the home we live in, as you can bear witness to it, it has no doors or windows," she said.

“The roof is old and rugged which is why it leaks during rainy days and not to mention the inside of the house getting wet. The current situation of our house is vulnerable and cannot withstand a tropical cyclone and that is why I am always paranoid around this time.”

The mother of four also said that she prays that Samoa will not be impacted by any cyclones because we would have no home if it gets damaged.

Despite the family having access to water supply and electricity, Mrs. Alofa told this newspaper that they struggle to make payments due to not having enough money.

“In our family my son-in-law is the only one employed but his income cannot cover our expenses and needs, so we have to be smart and budget wisely,” she added.

She also said that majority of their expenses are for food supplies, church commitments.

“For us, if we do not have enough money to pay our water bill, it will be cutoff so unless we have saved up enough money we can pay it and then get our water connected again.

“Water is a necessity for all human beings because without it, we cannot survive, it has so many usages like cooking and preparing food, consumption, bathing and also for our waste facility which is another concern.

“At the moment, we do not have access to a proper facility for showering and a modern toilet; we are using an old facility.”

With Samoa celebrating White Sunday, it’s just a normal day for the family of the elderly mother.

“If we can sell some coconuts to get money then we can afford to buy some food for our Sunday meal.

“For our food supply, even if we do not have enough but we are truly grateful to our Heavenly Father for his never ending love and care for the gift of life.”

If you are willing to help the family of Mrs. Alofa, please contact the number: 7296060.