Florists at the Fugalei market haven’t given up hope on their sales income returning to pre-COVID-19 days with mothers adamant that they would rather “get something than nothing.”

They say even though their market sales are down – due to the pandemic-induced economic downturn as well as the uncertainty associated with the constitutional crisis – they would still be relieved to get at least one customer a day.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, 61-year-old Miriama Lui of Siusega and Tapatapao said they had no other choice as selling flowers was their main source of income for their families.

“This is our everyday job is to supply and make bouquets of flowers to sell inside the market to earn money for living,” Mrs Lui said. 

“We know that we don’t have many people to buy bouquets of flowers in the beginning of the week except Saturday, but we can’t stop because there is nothing to do at home.

“So even though we don't get much these days, at least one bouquet of flowers being sold a day is better than staying home and earning nothing.”

Having already clocked a decade in the business, Mrs Lui said when she started selling flowers it was during the days of the old market and she didn’t attend any special classes to learn the trade.

“I didn’t attend any special school to learn how to make a bouquet of flowers; I learned it myself by doing it many times before inside our temple when we decorate it for church.

“That's what motivates me to make flowers and sell them in the market for some money.”

Mrs Lui said since then it has become a hobby for her and her family to plant different types of trees inside their 2 acre gardening land at Tapatapao.

“So there is no other choice for us, we just hang on here maybe soon, the market goes back to normal and we get more buyers,” she said. 

“I always get $60 a day, some days are less, some days are more. On Saturday we have very good sales and we can earn at about more than $300. 

“So one or two flowers that can be sold a day it's better than nothing.”

Mrs Lui said that only her and her two sons Keneti Lui and Rudy Lui attend to their flower garden in a bid to ensure it continues to supply flowers for their small business until normalcy returns. 

Currently a bouquet of flowers at the Fugalei market sells for about $20 or $30 each with prices going up to $150 or more.