Father shares struggles

By Ilia L Likou 06 December 2017, 12:00AM

“My family is struggling financially.”  

The admission was made by a 48-year-old father of three from Satuimalufilufi, Solo Sauimalae, yesterday. He said his weekly income is $125.

“To tell you the truth, it’s hard to stretch this much money,” he said. 

“But it’s my children at school who keep me going everyday.”

Solo lives and work for one of the companies in town.

“The only time I go to see my family is during the weekend,” he said. ”But I find it hard not being with them and then going back to see them at the end of the week with that little money.”

The money is his gross income. 

By the time all the deductions are done, he said he is left with less than $50. That money is what he uses to pay his bus fares and feed his family.

He’s the only one to provide for his family financially.

“Honestly we never meet our family’s basic needs because money is always tight, the only time I see money is when I get paid, then the next hour it’s all gone.”

Solo has to look after his three children, wife and mother. 

 “The prices for all the things in this country have increased from time to time and the pay people receive is not enough to cover [their] everyday needs,” he said. 

 “I mean that’s the biggest problem today. The cost of living is so expensive.

“We just can’t survive on this money so we try to ration the use of rice or taro everyday. I think there are a lot of people like me.

“The high cost of living is killing us and as I’ve mentioned earlier I hardly save money for my children.”

Still, he remains hopeful.

“I have to keep on working with hope that someday, somewhere the government will decrease the cost of living especially the prices of goods and services for everyone to live a happy life,” he said.

“The truth is that I don’t want to see my children and family go a day without food. No father wants his family to go without food everyday and that is why I will continue to sacrifice and persevere.”

By Ilia L Likou 06 December 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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