Selina Te’o of Vailavea Samatau is sure about one thing.

If mothers don’t raise the children well enough, the future will be problematic.

When Village Voice caught up with the 55-year-old, she was relaxing in her home at Samatau.

 “I believe with the many problems arising from the youth nowadays I think the responsibility falls on the mother,” she told the Village Voice.

“The father’s duties are to provide for the family and so it is the mother responsibility to make sure the children are well behaved especially when they go in public places.

“Especially with their daughters this is the number one priority of a mother is to look after their daughters.

“I am a mother of seven children and this is what I do every day I make sure that my daughters are at home and if they do go anywhere I make sure they are home by the time I told to be home.”

Ms. Te’o went on to say in their village of Samatau their faiganuu is very strict as there are four sub villages and in each sub village alii and faipule make sure that each family follow the rules within the village.

“In our village we never have problems with the youth because the faiganuu of alii and faipule is very strict,” she said.

“I also believe that this is why the rural area is different from Apia because in Apia there are no faiganuu because it is filled with people from all around Samoa who are residing there.

“If only it was like here we wouldn’t have any problems with the youths.

“I also believe that this is the work of everyone because as the saying goes “it takes a village to raise a child” which is true because if the parents aren’t doing enough then the village can help and so as the community.”

She reiterated that girls are the mother’s priority and they should be well looked after.

“I come back to this issue of girls because I see that life is so fast and we as mothers should take care of our daughters,” she said.

“It is our duty to make sure they are safe because life is going fast.

“I see girls are being allowed by parents to go out with friends at night and I believe that this is the reason why problems are happening with young girls because mothers are being careless in looking after them.

“It is our priority to watch over them and make sure they remain blessed and living a happy life.”