Malaepepas  Taupaumua Yu Hoi's partner is working on boats overseas, sending money back, but it’s her farm income that keeps things steady day to day, feeding her three kids. 

The 33-year-old is balancing hard work and being a full-time mother.

An initiative by the Women in Business has broadened the mother's knowledge about being a farmer. She has learned that there are ways to grow crops naturally without the use of chemicals. Such as weaving the grass and using decomposed materials as natural fertilisers and the different outcomes of the use of chemicals and organic farming.

“If you use chemicals around cucumbers, the result is that these cucumbers, when they are ready to be harvested, will taste bitter and are not healthy to consume. But farming organically, the taste of the ripened cucumbers will not be bitter and contains high nutrients as no chemicals are being used in the growing process,” she said.

Other advantages of farming organically were also identified by the hard-working mother, such as no money is spent; the vegetables and other plants grown naturally are very healthy, as they are high in nutrients.

This has been Malaepepa's source of income for many years now, as her husband can only send money home once a month. Her hard work helps to provide and put food on the table for her kids and family every day. The sharing of knowledge between the farmers and the exchange of plants for free has had a positive impact on this project, as she was also able to receive advice from her peers on being a better and more resourceful farmer. 

This has also helped her cope with challenging days when she doesn’t make enough in a day, but her day is filled with excitement being surrounded by other farmers.

Alongside, Malaepepa also depends heavily on the ocean for income. They also make and sell oka.  She tries her very best to find ways to make use of her surroundings, such as using lemons to make lemonade juice, and bananas to make homemade banana chips to sell.

She expressed her gratitude to WIBDI for the opportunity for women to work in this program, in their lands, and at the same time earn income.

“I am not a rich mother, besides being tired from times, but I do what I can with a heart full of love to provide for my kids and family so they won’t have to starve or be worried sick about where to get money to get them by these are humble beginnings for all of us,” said Malaepepa.

“Persistence is the key to being successful. If you give up too easily, you’ll get nothing. Even though my husband works, I am a person who believes in teamwork. As I also want to contribute to the upbringing of my family, as my children are still in school,”