No water, no electricity, mother calls for govt. action

By Nefertiti Matatia 03 December 2017, 12:00AM

A widowed mother of four is asking the government to address the expensive cost of living in Samoa.

Mataiva Key shared her experiences about the cost of living and the struggles of not having enough money week in and week out.

“Everything nowadays requires money, but I don’t know where to get the money,” she said. 

“Most of the prices of the products are rising too. The water supply does not reach our home so we need to buy water to fix our washing, the dishes and everything at home, the less rain the more money we would need to spend on buying water.”

Mrs. Key is from Fasitoo-uta. She doesn’t have running water and electricity as well.

She said they would be spending a lot of money this time of the year because her role as a parent required her to provide for her children.

There are only two people who work in her family, but their earnings are not enough.

One of her sons who attends the National University of Samoa is looking for a job.

“We need all the help that we can get to support our family becausve I don’t work and my two older children who work have their own families to worry and that is why my son who was in school has stopped attending university and is now looking for jobs,” Mrs. Key said.

The 73-year-old added they had so many obligations that they needed to fulfil as well, but the biggest problem they faced was money.

“We have church things going on, also village obligations and family as well. So there are many things happening all at once and I don’t know what to do first.”

By Nefertiti Matatia 03 December 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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