The land will provide and a family in Luatuanuu knows that too well. For two weeks, the family has been collecting sand from the beach to make bricks to build their new house which they say is saving them a lot of money.

Samoa Observer took a trip around the village on Saturday amid damages to the families' front yards and roads due to the destructive ocean swells which affected most of the coastal areas around the country.

While most of the village collected sand to fill up the holes on the road and in front of their houses, this one family had started doing that two weeks ago.

Five cousins, Faamasino Sese, Davy Maone, Dan Lauagiagi, Viliamu Viliamu, and Setefano Maiava were out on their beach collecting sand in sacks for their new house.

Mr. Sese explained that despite life's challenges, their family has been optimistic about the gifts of life and that is the land and sea.

"It's all about knowledge and common sense and if there's a will there's a way," he said. "Our family has been planning to rebuild the house which was taken down because it was old and risky so we thought this is the easiest way to rebuild it.

"Of course, we are buying other materials from the shop but these things we can get from around us are a blessing and we shouldn't take them for granted. There is knowledge about doing these things and we have it. So, we have to use it."

Mr. Viliamu also explained that their whole family is working together to make their dream house a reality without needing help from other people.

"It costs less money and we know we have the manpower to do it because we have many men and boys in our family," he added.

Meanwhile, this is also another way the family has been preventing the high swells from crashing into their front yards and destroying their property. They have created a barrier as well.