Omeka Ah Ching knows the cost of living is expensive.

But instead of whining about it, his response is to cope as best as he can.

 “Personally, I think the cost of living is quite expensive,” he said. 

“But I don’t want to complain about it. In fact, it’s life.

“Everything changes and the cost of living is increasing. But we all know that one way to cope with it is through hard work.”

“Your hard work determines your success.”

Omeka, 23, lives in Satapuala with his parents and siblings. His other siblings are employed, but for him he quit his job to look after his parents. 

 “Being the youngest and the only child at home, I feel like I should take responsibility of staying home to look after my parents,” he said. 

“As you know they are getting older so this is the least I can do. Money cannot buy the time you spend with your parents.”

Apart from money challenges, he said life is good.

“Yeah, everything is stable. Not only do we get money from my siblings who are working here but we also get help through our relatives in American Samoa.

“To be fair, life is ok. The only issue is the cost of living which is quite expensive.”

Omeka is a farmer. He told the Village Voice that he earns really good money from the plantation.

“If I have to compare the pay I used to earn from my previous job to this one, I earn more from the plantation.

“Being a farmer has its own benefits. You can start anytime you want, you don’t have anyone to tell you what to do and you can rest as much as you can. It’s a peaceful life.”

Omeka’s only complaint is about the quality of their road.

 “The road is bad. We need some help to fix it please.”