Mother works harder on Mother’s day

Many mothers know all too well that they end up cleaning the toilets at home, with many fathers either too blind or lazy to do their part.

But imagine cleaning toilets as your daily job? At a time of the year when mothers are given a day off from all the washing and cooking, one woman will be up at 4am on Monday, as usual, to clean the women’s public toilets in town.

Her name is Lelia Seve Aulalo, 46 years old, of Fualalo, Savai’i.

The mother’s plan for this year’s event is to work on the weekend and holiday just like every other day. With her three children studying and working in New Zealand, Ms. Aulalo feels there’s no one to celebrate with.

Instead, she is sending money to her mother who is in Savai’i for her Sunday to’onai.

She hardly catches that ferry to go home to her family in Savai’i.

“Because I’m always working, busy cleaning the rooms and making sure people have a place to use when they’re in town,” said Ms. Aulalo with a smile.

“I like what I do…not all people appreciate the clean toilets they utilise but that is up to them.

“This is how I earn my income and I usually apply my duties as a mother here and make sure the lavatories are clean.”

Every morning when the clock strikes four, Ms. Aulalo is already up to open the lavatories.

And when everyone is fast asleep in the middle of the night, the mother is cleaning the rooms and putting up new rolls of toilet papers.

She closes the lavatories at 12 midnight.

The mother of three doesn’t need to walk far to get to where she sleeps.

Her home being on the other island of Savai’i, Ms. Aulalo lives in the storeroom next to the public lavatories. A mat and bedspread is all she needs and the storeroom becomes her bedroom.

“I sleep in that room,” she said pointing to the white coloured store room.

“I can’t catch the ferry everyday after work to go home, that is just ridiculous,” she continued with a laugh.

“So this is my home and my workplace.

“I keep it clean for my sake also.”

Ms. Aulalo said she’s had some hard time with her work.

The mother pointed out that many school kids write on the walls when she’s not looking.

“The students are always vandalising, writing swear words and other things on the wall,” she said.

“Sometimes I don’t know when they’re doing it because I’m busy at the front telling people to leave their bags there and giving them toilet rolls.

“It really is a challenge to keep an eye on them and I just wish they would stop damaging things otherwise the lavatories could be closed.”

The mother said while some students sneer at her when she tells them off for writing on the walls she tries her best to keep the peace.

“Some days are good and other days are not so good,” she said.

“A lot of people come here and complain about the way things are but I don’t make the rules,” explained Ms. Aulalo.

“I tell them to leave their bags at the front because most of the students are sent by their parents to go to school but they come here and get changed and go bus riding.

“I’m a mother and I have children of my own…they don’t like it when I tell them off but I’m only trying to protect them and do what a mother would do to look out for others children.”

Ms. Aulalo said despite all the complaints and others “looking down on me” she does what she does “as it is my service to our people”.

“The money I get is sent back to my sisters who are looking after my mother so they can buy some food,” she said.

“The rest of it is saved for fa’alavelave.”

However Ms. Aulalo still has something to smile about this mother’s day.

She said her children are sending her money from a money transfer agency and she will use it to buy some new clothes for herself.