Saimua Pelasio knows this much. If he puts his mother’s needs before his own, in the end he will be blessed. 

The 43-year-old comes from Leauva’a and he stay with his mother.

“Our home, well it’s always quiet because it’s only two of us,” he said.

“We only have each other and eventhough it’s my job to take care of my mother, she always insists on doing things on her own.

“She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known, always working on doing something, either in the house or outside picking up ulu leaves infront of the house.

“For me, I take my duties and responsibilities to my mother very seriously.

“I always make sure to cook food for her before I leave home to go to the plantation or anywhere else.

“My mother was never the type of person who relies on anybody else even when my father left.

“My mother did her best in looking after me when I was little without anybody’s help.

“I guess that’s the kind of life I’m trying to live up to.

“We don’t really have much when it comes to money, so the lands provides for our basic needs most of the time.

“We have pigs and chickens so that’s another everyday responsibility because I always have to feed them.

“If we need money then I try my best to sell off coconuts, bananas and whatever I can find.

“All these things that you get from the land, they are very useful because we can sell it for a bit of money.

“That’s all we have and we go on with life, knowing that God has never abandoned us.

“But you know, some people don’t prioritize the land, when this is like a true blessing.

“For me, my biggest blessing is the person I have as a mother and right now, it’s just me and my mother against the world.”