Water complicates mother-of-six's simple life

By Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi 23 January 2021, 12:00AM

A mother-of-six and her family from Savai'i work hard every day to live a simple life growing vegetables for sustenance. But for Luse Alesana, a 36-year-old mother, the family's biggest challenge is access to water supply.

Speaking to the Village Voice, Mrs. Alesana said that her family live a simple life and depend on the plantation for their daily sustenance.

She said budgeting always presents a struggle and is the main reason they can never save enough to buy a new tank for water storage. 

"Our biggest struggle is the water supply," the mother, who declined to be named, Mrs. Alesana told the Samoa Observer. 

"We have a water tank, but it's no longer in good condition and I fear that the water stored inside that tank is not healthy and good enough for my children.

"The tank is made of cement and it was there even before I was born. Since then, we have been using that tank to store water for my children and family.

"The tank is very old now and has so many cracks on it. If you look inside the tank, there are weeds growing on it and inside the tank. I know it's not safe for drinking. 

"What we do is we use a clean cloth to filter the water that we use for our food. But we boil the water before drinking to make sure that my children will not get sick from drinking water straight from the tank.”

Mrs. Alesana became reluctant to admit that she and her family could use some help, saying she is not the type of person who would seek charity from others. 

"I am a strong believer that your future and the future of your family is in your own hands,” she said. 

"But life can be tough sometimes and we have so many obligations and responsibilities that we can never neglect. We have been wanting and dreaming of having a new water tank because I feel sorry for my children. 

"We tried saving up for it, but things happen every now and then and that is out of our control."

The mother says she is hopeful someone can lend a helping hand. 

"If there is someone out there who is willing to help us, we would appreciate it very much. If not, then we will not stop,” she said. 

"We will continue to strive for the best and work hard to provide for our family and children.

"My eldest daughter is fifteen years old and my youngest is two years old. 

"We enjoy the simple life here in Savai'i and we love it here, even though it gets hard sometimes. However, we are still very grateful to God for his love, guidance and protection upon us all."

If you would like to contact Mrs. Alesana you can do so on 7509676.



By Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi 23 January 2021, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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