Love what you do

By Lanuola Tupufia – Ah Tong 14 October 2016, 12:00AM

It has been three years since Olivia Fidow has participated in the National Agriculture Show, showcasing vegetables and fruits of different kinds. 

The mother from Ma’agao and  Utuali’i has added cocoa, coconuts, taro and yam to her list of crops she enjoys to plant and sell for a living. 

For the past three years, Mrs. Fidow has been at the top of the national show maintaining first place for her produces. 

Mrs. Fidow believes that hard work is not the answer but passion and love for what you do is the key. 

“My father (the late Ligaliga Fusi) was a farmer and fed the village and our families with the work of his hands,” she said. “I had lived overseas for 30 years and when I came back some years ago I decided I wanted to do what my father did. We grew up in a farm, we have a farm and I simply love farming.” 

Mrs. Fidow said before she started her plantations and vegetable gardens she used to have a fishing boat and a store to support her family. 

The family also owns the Ligaliga Funeral Services at Moto’otua and a branch in Mangere New Zealand. 

Business didn’t go as she had hoped and finally decided to follow her father’s footsteps and start her own plantation.  

“There were too many dishonest people when I had those businesses,” she said. 

“I thought to myself its better I do something that I love to do and I can look after myself rather than depending on other people. 

“Look at me now. I make about $1000 a week from my produces I deliver to the market and I can still feed my family and villagers at the same time. Being a farmer is better than working for someone else.”

The mother said her plantation is also helping others especially youths who are unemployed. 

She pointed out that she calls  some of the youths who dropped out of school and are now working for her as her own children. 

“They live with us and are part of my family,” she said. 

“They had problems with their families and I offered them work but now they are like my very own children and they call me their mother.” 

 For this year’s show, the mother hopes she can maintain her first position in the fruits and vegetables division. 

A prizegiving for the National Agriculture show will be held today and to officially close the event.

By Lanuola Tupufia – Ah Tong 14 October 2016, 12:00AM
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