Working with family is key

By Aruna Lolani 22 July 2017, 12:00AM

Whether you’re rich or poor don’t depend on anyone else to give you what you want.

That is Vaitimu Levika’s motto.

He is a 46-year-old farmer who comes from Afega and Tuanai.

With six children, two of them are now working. 

“We are still trying to develop the life we have,” he tells Village Voice.

“At the moment we are using our neighbors’ water because we can’t afford to have our own water yet. 

“The same goes for our electricity so we use a kerosene lamp. 

“My two older children and my wife are all working so we can all try and save to make all of these things happen.”

Mr.Levika said he used to smoke and drink before but he stopped because he knows that’s another waste of money. 

“I came to realize that when you save, there are a few things that you have to lose as well whether you like it or not. 

“Nowadays, money is everything; I mean even this plantation costs money because sometimes I need to buy tiapula and trust me, those things are not cheap.

“I’m living my life in a way that my children can learn to live when they have their own families.

“I don’t want to rely on other people for things, so I just do my best to survive on what I have and at the same time, try to save money for future developments.”

Mr.Levika said he’s been trying so hard to develop his plantations, but no matter how good it gets, when heavy rain strikes, his land is bound to be flooded. 

“We can’t control the weather but we can control the course of action to survive those natural disasters.

“My whole vegetables plantation was destroyed by flooding and that’s why I want to ask the government for their help for a water pipeline for the flood to go through when it rains.

“I’ve asked them so many times but nothing has been done but that’s the only thing we need help with that we can’t do ourselves.”

By Aruna Lolani 22 July 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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