Work hard to tackle life’s struggles

By Ulimasao Fata 16 December 2017, 12:00AM

The basic strategy to tackle life’s struggles is to work hard and not complain.

This is the belief of Pupumai Vaipapa, a 57-year-old father of six from the village of Samata-uta on the big island of Savai’i. 

The Village Voice team met Mr. Vaipapa at the Mulifanua wharf disembarking from the 10 o’clock ferry yesterday.

Mr. Vaipapa said life in Savai’i was different from that of here in Upolu.

“The life there at home in Savai’i is really hard because most of the people there are just depending on the land for survival.

“The difference between the life there in Savai’i and here is that there are a few more job opportunities here than there are in Savai’i.

“Life there is really hard because people are just working their plantation and fishing in order to provide food for their families.”

Mr. Vaipapa said he came to Upolu to bring crops for his brother’s family.

“You know the reality of our lives here in Samoa that we are fond of is giving support our families.

“My brother is planning to go Australia and this will be his gift for our family there. This is basically for his ‘umu’.”

“Only one person in our family back in Savai’i works and that’s about it as I said, we mainly rely on our plantation.

“I sometimes go fishing in order to get food for our family because that is the main source of food for us, everything in the shops is expensive.”

However Mr. Vaipapa admitted that life wouold be worse if we just sat around and did nothing.

 “My point is that if you know you don’t have a regular job to support your family, then you have to make sure that whatever you do, will benefit your family.

“Benefit your family in terms of food and finance, like working the land and going fishing.”

Working the land, he said,  is the best way to tackle the struggles in life now.

“That’s because finding a job today is really hard, but the best way to support families is working the land because every family has their own plantation.”

By Ulimasao Fata 16 December 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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