Young planter does it for love of family

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 24 February 2017, 12:00AM

Know your role and perform it to the best of your abilities. 

When you do that, everything else will fall into place.

So says Lafaele Toa, 25-years-old, from the village of Vaitele.

When the Village Voice caught up with him yesterday, he was fetching taro from his plantation for his family.

“Life without a job is tough but we just need to be positive and find a way to help wherever we can,” he said.

For Lafaele, that avenue is the plantation.  

 “The plantation is the cure to unemployment,” he said. 

“Some people when they don’t have money they think it’s the end of the world but I guess that’s just the beginning of the world.”

Not everything to Lafaele is about money. 

He believes life is about overcoming the challenges by doing whatever you can to get by.

 “It means we have to work hard to take care our families. Whatever that is, we need to do things to make us happy and keep our families together.”

Lafaele used to work for a road construction company when he realised his family needed help at home.

He quit and now works on his plantation.

His mother works as a maid and she brings home some money too.

 “To be honest, I feel guilty seeing my mother going to work. She’s reached the age where she can easily be affected by sickness but she is determined to work for us, her family.

“I know sometimes I complain about life. But I’m thankful because we have homes we don’t starve like other countries who are starving and homeless.

“I know most of us complain about the high cost of living but we ought to be thankful that we still access food and most goods for everyday needs.”

Lastly, he believes life is about pushing through the hard times.

“It’s not easy working at the plantation. I struggle and I want to give up but when I see that what I do provides food and money for my family, that makes me happy.

 “That’s what motivates me to work hard.”

By Fetalai Tuilulu’u 24 February 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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