Aleisa-uta family dreams of a water tank

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 28 December 2017, 12:00AM

Sometimes we can only pray for a miracle.

We wish that somewhere, someone would just come and lend you a hand.

But it’s not always the case.

For 50-year-old Vaiaga Simi of Aleisa-uta, the mother of three said the struggle is real in trying to raise her family.

“This is not our home,” she said. “We are from Faleasiu but we have just moved here in the middle of this year because my husband and I wanted a better life for my children.

“My son works and he is our only source of income.”

The absence of water and electricity is an ongoing issue. The family lives far inland and it doesn’t help that the Simi’s household is at the end of the street.

“We live inland and as you can see it is a mission walking from our house to the main road so having to live without water and electricity is a real struggle.”

Ms. Simi said they have been blessed because of the heavy rain during the past few weeks.

“At least that problem was solved at that time,” she said.

Health is a big challenge.

“As you can see the roof of our house, it’s unhealthy to even drink from water coming from there,” she said.

“It’s dirty and dusty. I don’t want my family to be drinking from that and that is why I always make sure that we boil the water we use for tea as well as for preparing food.

“It’s a lot of work but my family’s health is my main concern and I would do anything just to ensure that they are healthy and well.”

Another struggle Ms. Vaiaga talked about is the fact of not having a water tank.

“In this situation the best solution is having a water tank,” she said.

“However, we are not involved in the committee and so it is very hard to ask the village matais for a water tank.

“In our situation we just don’t know who to ask for help from and we are trying to get by so we don’t have money to buy water tank.

“It’s like struggle after another and it’s very hard but as a parent it means stay strong for my family.

“My husband works at the plantation as well and we are a family who is desperately in need of help.

“We’ve been having this problem for so long and it’s tough.

“The problem with electricity we live far from the main road luckily the moon is out and that helps gets some light in our house.

“But most of the nights it’s very dark out here and it’s scary too.

“I have a teenage daughter and with the kind of house that we live it’s an open house it’s not safe for her as well as us too.

“Most of the nights I can never get a peaceful sleep because I’m mostly awake during the night just to be the watch guard and I believe that is the responsibility of a mother.

“I always pray for my family’s safety and I also know that one day we will be able to rise from this hardship that we face.”

By Deidre Tautua-Fanene 28 December 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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