Tough living for family

By Nefertiti Matatia 15 April 2018, 12:00AM

Life is a struggle for Charlie Ekueka.

For seven years, they have lived in a very small hut with no stable water supply. They also use a pit toilet and their kitchen is not in a good condition. 

The father of three, from Mulifanua, faces countless sleepless nights because of his struggles.

He is the only one who works to provide for his family. He earns about $180 a fortnight, even this is not enough. 

Mr. Ekueka said his children are his main priority, especially his eldest child who attends school.

 “When it rains we use cloths as tarpaulins. So every time it rains, our belongings get wet,” he told the Village Voice team. 

“Not only does the inside of our house leaks, half of the roof of the house has iron roofing while the other half we use coconut leaves.

 “The foundation of our house is really weak. We used branches from the trees as the floor.

“It is hard and I feel for my children when they sleep on it because it feels like you are sleeping on a pile of hard sticks. We don’t have mattresses or anything like that.

“There are sides of the house that has a fence while the other side doesn’t.”

They cannot afford any proper cooking utensils, so they just live within their means. 

“Where we make our food is not even clean, so much dirt everywhere and it is a rundown kitchen. The materials that were used to make the kitchen are already starting to decay,” the 30-year-old said. 

“The smell of the pit toilet reaches our house, which is another problem why we cannot eat properly.

 “Even if we are using our neighbour’s water tank, we don’t even have buckets to store any water in it.

“There isn’t a water gallon at our home. So we are struggling big time with everything that is happening around us.”

Despite the situation he faces, Charlie has no other option but to live with his struggles every day. 

For anyone who is willing to help Mr. Ekueka’s family, contact the number 7204119. 

By Nefertiti Matatia 15 April 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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