Farmers and vendors braving the rain and the boiling sun on the streets of Fugalei are slowly losing hope.
Since the government has failed on more than one occasion to complete the Fugalei market on deadline, the mood at Fugalei yesterday was discouraging.
The Sunday Samoan sought the opinions of farmers after yet another deadline was given by construction workers for the project.
“How much longer is it going to take,” asked Joe Chanboon, a disappointed farmer from Aleisa.
“First they said it would finish in March and now it’s September and yet the market looks nothing like it’s close to being finished.”
“We are tired of the lies, we are tired of being ridiculed. For most of us, we’ve resolved to stop thinking about it because we are tired of being disappointed.”
Mr. Chanboon said he is one of the many farmers who were forced to move to the streets to sell his produce when the old Fugalei Market was demolished nearly three years ago. He admitted that although being exposed to the sun and the rain is a challenge, he said he has no choice because he has to make some money for his family.
“We had no other option but to sell on the streets just to be close to the market,” said Mr. Chanboon.
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“I don’t need to tell you how hard it is, you can see how hard it is. We eat all the fumes and dust from the road. It gets worse when we don’t make any money.”
Mr. Chanboon is not alone.
“The Market should’ve been finished by now,” said Alei Mikaele from Tanumapua.
“I know it’s tough selling things on the footpath but this has been the only way for us farmers to raise our families.”
“Some of us come a long way from home to be in the rain and sun the whole day selling our stuff but that’s because without money from here, we have nothing else.”
Ms. Mikaele suggested that perhaps the government could have asked the farmers to help with the construction to speed it up.
“Sometimes I see workers doing their job and sometimes I randomly see them doing anything,” she said.
“Maybe that’s why it’s being delayed.”
For some farmers, they say that the longer there would be a delay; it would be the longer they would have to cope with the sun and rain. “I have nothing much to say,” said Tina Fa’aleleiga.
“I just pray that the government can keep their promise that the market will be finished by September so we can finally have some shade over our heads.”
But not everyone is finding the delay problematic.
Farmers who have found space inside the Tole’afoa Fa’afisi Market are not fussed.
“If its September that they say the market would be finished then let it be,” said Aitauia Mauluulu.
“It’s good if it takes that long so that the market would be strong and complete when it’s eventually finished rather than rushing everything and then they would have to renovate it a few years later.”
Koleti Samuelu Faleupolu agrees.
“I’m just thankful that the market is now up,” said Ms. Faleupolu.
“As long as there’s going to be a market then it wouldn’t be a problem at all.
“Maybe the delay is not such a bad idea so that when the people for the Small Island Developing States Conference come they’ll see how unfinished and unprepared Samoa is as a host country,” she laughed.
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