The daily struggles of life at Tanumapua

By Nefertiti Matatia 20 January 2018, 12:00AM

Living without water is like a man walking into a battlefield without a weapon.

So says Lafua Sa, 68, of Tanumapua. According to the father of five, having no water has become one of the biggest struggles he battles everyday. 

His children have to walk all the way to their aunt’s house at Tapatapao to fetch buckets of water for their family. Every single day.

Having only one person who works, his wife, does not provide enough money for their family. 

“My wife gets paid $170 every week from her job, but this money is not enough for the seven of us at home since we need to budget that money wisely until the next pay day,” he said.

Mr. Sa said the land they live on does not belong to them, it’s owned by his wife’s boss and they look after it. 

“We have been living here for 10 years now; we are the ones who look after the plantation and the land. Our water became disconnected a few years ago when the Government created the meter, but it was free before that.”

It is not just the lack of water that is troubling him.

The looming school term is a headache.

“That’s another problem it’s the children going back to school,” he said.

Three of them attend Aleisa Primary School. 

“My other daughter will be starting school and there is a registration fee, but when I look at that, it is no different from paying the school fees because we are still giving money to the school.”

And it doesn’t stop there.

“There are so many school activities such as the parent’s bingo. They say it’s for a fundraising trying to pay off the school loan that they have, but I’m not sure about this year because all these things happened last year.” 

He even shared about the daily experiences that he undergoes due to the cost of living in Samoa today.

“Life nowadays in Samoa is costly because even a $100 isn’t enough, you may have spent it all on doing the shopping for groceries, but you wouldn’t be getting everything on your list because your money will be finished after buying three things.”

By Nefertiti Matatia 20 January 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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