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What is Hardship?The primary goal of the assessment was to identify the people’s perceptions of hardship by talking to key community leaders and people who were identified as suffering from hardship. Most people consulted said that hardship exists in their community. Mativa (lack of money) was the most common local word used to describe hardship. Most individuals and families defined hardship as a lack of money. This prevents people from accessing basic services such as education, health care, and water supply. Moreover, the people consulted closely associated hardship with the breakdown of family unity and values. The people consulted described hardship in terms of income, services, and jobs. Incomes. Lack of cash for the family's basic needs given the high cost of living was the biggest concern of families and communities consulted. Due to lack of cash, families were having difficulty meeting basic needs such as adequate housing, food, and clothing. Services. Those facing hardship do not have access to adequate health services, education, and clean water. Lack of reliable transport and communication services further minimizes their ability to market agricultural goods. Jobs. Lack of jobs, few opportunities to establish businesses, small/limited local markets for goods and services, lack of credit, and lack of access to external markets were the main areas cited as contributing to hardship.
Most communities consulted perceived that hardship has worsened over the last five years. During the consultations, it was not difficult for people to define hardship and identify people suffering from hardship, indicating that hardship is not an uncommon term or concept for ordinary Samoans, as previously believed.
Farmer, 45-Year-Old Male
“I married a girl from another village. We have four children. I completed school in Form 5, and was unemployed for a short while. Then I worked at the YMCA as a carpenter for five years. I left this job as the money was not enough to take care of my new family, and I had to help look after our children because my wife's father was getting very sick and she had to care for him. My wife is also very sickly and at times she needs all the help she can get with running our family. “We now look after my wife's family's land, as my wife is an only child. The lands have been idle for a very long time and I am now developing them to ensure that my wife's family and our own family are looked after. “Of our four children, three are in school. They go to our village primary school, which is about a 40-minute walk away. When I go to the market to sell taro and taamu I have to make several trips down to where we catch the bus, as no bus comes to where we are. I hope, with the new road, a bus will come soon. “I am trying to ensure my family survives from day to day. It would have been okay if it were not for some of the village activities we contribute to. For instance, we have to contribute ST100 to the village every week to help pay for the water supply source and the new school building. I don't mind giving for the school, but for the water I don't quite agree. We do not have access to piped water; we fetch water from a spring nearby. To make things worse, if you do not pay they put a penalty fee on your contribution during the next meeting. I want to voice this concern with the village council, but somehow I am afraid they may punish my family and me. We have to contribute to the Aumaga, the general village activities, the women's committee, and our church. This leaves us with very little and sometimes nothing to pay for my children's school fees or just some new clothes or nice food. “I am very sad when I see my children eating just banana in coconut cream and a cup of tea many times. At times I have some money, but my wife and I keep this for when the children are sick. We always take our children to the private doctor, because I don't trust our district hospital. “When my wife is sick I am fearful that I may not be able to provide for all that we need. I pray hard to God to help me when this happens. My children keep me going from day to day. I am always thinking of what they will become. I don't want them to come through the path like I did, so I will always make sure that I have money for their education, so they will not face these hardships that we are facing at the moment. “Maybe someday I will have a fale palagi (modern house) but for now, my children's education and food for my family is most important.”
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