Jobs are hard to come by these days.

With more and more graduates leaving learning institutions with qualifications, it means the fight for people without any to get a job becomes harder.

Which is precisely the degree of difficulty that Puao Luafitu, from the village of Laulii and Sa’asa’ai, Savai’i, is finding hard to cope with.

Like any mother, she loves her children. 

She would give her life for them if she has to.

Neither Puao nor her husband has a formal job.

They rely on what they can get from their land to sell and the generosity of their families overseas.

But they want to do better than that.

That’s why they are using the Village Voice to express their willingness to be employed.

“We are both looking for jobs,” she said. “Any job we get will be greatly appreciated for the future of our children.” 

“As a mother, I have to be strong for my family especially my children. And although I don’t have a job, my children see me work hard every day to feed them and put them through school.”

“All of our kids are in school.”

“I want them to have a good life.”

“I know the cost of living is expensive but as parents, we must make sure that our family and children have what we need to provide for them.”

Puao said the cost of living is not necessarily a challenge.

“The challenge that I see is the opportunity for people to make money so they can meet the demands placed by the cost of living,” she said.

 “So for me, my answer is that if I have a job, then I have a chance of addressing that issue.”

Puao said her and her husband are motivated by their love for their kids.

“I look at my children and I tell myself I have to work harder for them,” she said.

“That’s why we work hard at our plantation. Sometimes we don’t feel like working but we have no choice.”

She added that changes and challenges are part and parcel of life but people react differently.

“As long as we do our part, whatever that is,” she said.

“I know my role as a mother is to nurture our children so that they grow up and be successful where they will not encounter the hardships we are going through.”