Abstract

This essay will examine the problems faced by Pacific Islanders in their attempt to save

money. The main issues to be discussed are economic difficulties, moving on to cultural

challenges and also the social impacts that have greatly caused Pacific Islanders as to

how they save money. Thus, this essay will conclude with the thought that serious

consideration must be taken accounted for in terms of Pacific Islands to know how to

save money for sustainability.

 UU114: English for Academic Purposes

Plan (Argument essay)

Title: Problems faced by Pacific Islands in saving money.

C: Save money
L: Hinders Pacific Islands
D: What (argument essay)

Context: Pacific Islands

Subject: Save money

Limited Subject: Hinders Pacific Islands

Issue: Why do Pacific Islanders find it hard to save money.

Thesis statement: This essay will discuss the causes of why Pacific Islanders find it
hard to save money in terms of financial, social and cultural issues.

Supports for the thesis:

Main idea 1: Economic Challenges

Supporting idea, a: Economic crises
i. Corvid 19 / Unemployment
ii. High cost of living

Supporting idea b: Financial Issues

i. Payments / rents & school fees
ii. Bank payments have increased

Main idea 2: Cultural Challenges

Supporting idea, a: Extended families
i. feeding big extended families
ii sole bread winner

Supporting idea b: Functions

i. committed towards more customs and traditions.
ii. reunion for Ex-scholars, dinner etc.

Main idea 3: Social Challenges

Supporting idea, a: Poverty
i. drugs and alcoholics
Supporting idea, b. Religion
 ii. church levy and fundraising

Conclusion: Restatement of thesis: This essay has discussed the economic to social
and cultural challenges faced by Pacific Islands in their attempt to save money.

Implication: This is an important issue to Pacific Islands because not

everyone is well informed of the importance of saving money.

Recommendation(s): It is recommended that there should be more

advocacy and workshops on the importance of saving money.

Final thought: If Pacific Islands are aware of the benefits of saving money, they
will certainly have a brighter future and will avoid all these small issues.
 The Problems Faced by Pacific Islands in Saving Money.

Saving money or budgeting your money plays a vital role in each household and

throughout the Pacific Islands as a whole. This essay will be elaborating more on the

causes faced by Pacific Islands in their attempt to save money.

Firstly, it will consider about the economic challenges where it presents about the

economic crises and financial issues. Secondly, it will discuss about the cultural

challenges faced like feeding big extended families and also how Pacific Islanders

attend to many family functions. Finally, it will argue on social challenges such as

poverty faced by Pacific Islanders to save money and also being committed to religious

obligations. This essay will conclude with the thought that serious consideration must be

accounted for in terms of Pacific Islanders to know how to save money.

The first of these is, economic challenges. With the current situation that we are facing

with economic crises due to Corvid-19, we can see the impacts it has brought about to

the many workers who are unemployed and have been laid off from work. So as for

Pacific Islanders, many are just at home looking for jobs without nothing to earn for the

family or have moved to the village to plant crops and vegetables so that they are able

to cater for their individual family. A clear example of this can be the frontline workers

who work for the tourism sectors and also aviation industry as a whole.
In addition, with the thought of the above points mentioned already results show that

(Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2020, “Impacts of COVID-19 on

the Food Systems in the Pacific Small Island Developing States”) air travel and

commercial flights have practically ceased. These strict measures and restrictions have

badly affected Pacific countries reliant on imports, tourism and revenue from labor

mobility.

Extending the above points, another related aspect of economic challenges is financial

issues faced by Islanders is through payments. As for example, paying rents to

landlords and arrears from business companies trying to pay them off without the

thought of saving a little money for unforeseen circumstances in the future. Adding on to

the challenges faced by financial issue, another problem that arises is that for the local

banks such as ANZ Bank we can say that in terms of opening a new account we have

to pay a minimum fee of hundred dollars, and that is not very easy because you have

other banks which are more suitable to join and who charge less fees regarding the

opening of new account.

The second challenge faced by Pacific Islands in saving money is, culture. The first

difficulty under this challenge is having a wider number of extended families living

together under one roof. Some of the Pacific Islanders tend to forget that when they

move in to large extended families, they never think of the families or as an individual

who is going to be feeding everyone and only understands the meaning of happiness

which is to be sharing to one another. And an example of this can be the sole bread
winners whose living in big extended families. Another point to this challenge is

functions, where Pacific Islanders are very well known for their hospitality so when there

are traditional customs gathering or social obligations held, they are mostly committed

to these functions where they get to spend hundreds and thousands of moneys.

Furthermore, in support to the issues being discussed in the cultural challenges many

Islanders are also committed to reunions and anything that involves bringing your

families and friends together such as dinner and small gatherings.

The final challenge is social, especially in terms of the changes it brings about to an

individual way of lifestyle. Many Pacific Islands are facing this issue of poverty due to

the increase in numbers of school dropouts from respective regions or Islands. Example

of this can be peer pressure, where mostly Islanders are being led into the wrong

directions and they start to smoke drugs and consume alcohol. In a way we can say that

they are able to pay for these addictive substances but cannot save a side single money

for future use. Another issue that surrounds social challenges is religion, where many

Christians beliefs are put to task where they have to meet the estimated levy for each

person within the family which disregards the age group you belong too as long as you

are baptized into the family of the church, you are entitled to pay that certain amount.

Thus, there should be more outreach done to advocate this issue regarding money due

the circumstances we face nowadays with unemployment.

To sum up, this essay has discussed the problems that hinders Pacific Islands in their

attempt to save money from the economic to cultural and social challenges. It is

important to save money because it allows you to enjoy greater security in your life and

helps in the event of a financial emergency. So, it is recommended that setting out a

personal budget would be essential so that saving money can be achieved. If Pacific

Islands are well educated on the importance of saving money only than they will be able

to enjoy their savings.

 Bibliography

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations n.d. Impacts of COVID-19 on the

Food Systems in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS1) and A Look into the

PSIDS Responses. Available from: http://www.fao.org/uploads/pics/COVID-

19_impacts_on_food_systems_in_PICs_CRFS_.pdf [04 April, 2021]

Asian Development Bank (March 2001). Poverty Is it an issue in the Pacific. Available from:

https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/29747/poverty-pacific.pdf [06 April, 2021]

Unlocking Public and Private Finance for the Poor (2019). The Challenge of Teaching Pacific

Islanders to Save. Available from: https://www.uncdf.org/article/6215/the-challenge-of-teaching-

pacific-islanders-to-save [09 April, 2021]

Islands Business Media/ News/ Publishing n.d. Pacific Islands Urge to Save Money. Available

from: https://www.islandsbusiness.com/past-news-break-articles/item/2074-pacific-islanders-

urge-to-save-money.html [09 April, 2021]