Tongatapu! The idea of going to Tonga was an inspiration seed by a few years of wanting to go back to the Pacific Islands in winter. Many Kiwi's dream of those turquoise seas, warm temperatures and to soak up the island life.
It just so happens around July Air New Zealand tempt you on social media with cheap flights. This time we took the bait. While surfing the internet it grabbed my attention. And 30 minutes later... boom - tickets were paid for to Tongatapu!
The morning was frantic. However, it surged into a new level of stressfulness as Jo discovered she had misplaced her wallet. So while packing in a sleep deprivation state, we were both distracted into searching for a small black wallet that managed to elude us for three hours. Finally, I found it wedged down the passenger seat, of course having looked in the car at least twelve times. Least to say packing was not that good.
Some people get into the ready Tongan genera early on the flight!
Brief History
'Tonga Trust started from the work of the Catholic Village Womens Development Program (VWD) in 1978. The organisation was formally registered at the Tonga‟s Magistrates Court in November 17, 1983 under the name Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific/Tonga (FSP Tonga). Two years later, the name of the organisation was changed to Tonga Community Development Trust in November 17, 1985. Its mandate continued to focus on alleviation of poverty in Tongan families and communities and fostering self reliance and sustainable community development. Since its inception, TCDT has been governed by a Board of Directors and managed daily by an Executive Director.
TCDT's headquarters is on the main island of Tongatapu. A field office was opened in Neiafu, Vavaʻu in April 1999. Since then we have also established field offices in Haʻapai and ʻEua.'
Tongan Community Development Trust, (n.d). Retrieved August 31, 2019, from https://www.tcdt.to/index.html)
Three particular people we meet were Papiloa Bloomfield Follaki (who is a book waiting to be written one day soon), Karlolaine Kavaefiah, and Kalisi Pakalani who resided on `Eua Island. These people are part of the Trust team helping Tongan people develop an improved quality of life. Key parts of the programme are empowering woman, bring families together, building sustainable and regenerative land to harvest food, including the idea of medicinal plants and improving water quality.
Quite a handful of tasks and with the disparity of wealth, culture and limited resources it is a mighty challenge these people are doing compassionate and incredible work.
Finally, Air New Zealand was whipping us through the high skies towards our destination.
Our aim of the trip was to get to meet, learn and understand the people and culture of Tonga. I wanted to photograph Tonga, the people and showcase the wonderful work they are doing; Find the heart of the people. Little did we know we were going to be treated to incredible insights and celebrations of many. We met some amazing, beautiful people that showed us insights that tourists would not have been able to access. So we will write several blogs covering the following image stories that celebrate the people & culture of Tonga:
1. Celebration stories of the Tongan Community Development Trust
2. Celebration stories of the Bridge of Hope Foundation
3. Tourism in Tonga
4. Personal images and reflections
Tongan Community Development Trust (TCDT)
Wow! What a beautiful amazing bunch of people that are dedicated to the well-being, love and support of so many people on Tonga, and outer islands.
'The Tonga Community Development Trust (TCDT) is an indigenous, non-governmental development organization operating in the Kingdom of Tonga. TCDT's focus is on capacity building with special attention on the less developed, more disadvantaged communities of Tonga including the poorest of the poor. Our projects cover the following focal areas: Family and Community Health; Rural Water Supply and Sanitation; Sustainable Development; Environmental Conservation; Disaster Preparedness; Womens in Development; Human Rights; Good Governance, Civic Education and Voter Education'.
'Mission
Tonga Trust is working in partnership with development partners to foster self-reliance and sustainable community development in Tonga.
Vision
Families and Communities in Tonga are empowered to be self-reliant and active agents of their own sustainable development.'
Tongan Community Development Trust, (n.d). Retrieved August 31, 2019, from https://www.tcdt.to/index.html)
Privileged and thank you for the Aroha are the main words surfacing after being invited to visit these beautiful people. The image below demonstrates the care, families give to each other amongst the trials and tribulations of life on Tongatapu. The young lady in the bed is handicapped at 29 years old. She has to be regularly rotated so bedsores do not develop. Care is 24/7. Like many people during and after 'Hurricane Gita' on February 2018, this family's home was destroyed, many more were and still are severely damaged. Their neighbour took them all in and cared for them for many months. Later, their mother who is based in the U.S.A. managed to rebuild a new home, they now live in an improved situation. Key to this continued success is the influence of the TCDT, where staff was able to help with the day to day reestablishment of life and training.
Ama Takiloa ʻa e Fefine Tonga Project
About the Project
This is TCDT’s longest-running project, originated in 1978 and known as Village Women Development (VWD). It is a grass-root development program that works closely with small village-based women development groups. The program encourages women to work together in small groups to achieve common development needs. The program is now focusing its effort in the outer islands of Vavaʻu, Ha’apai and ʻEua which are more disadvantaged by their geographical isolation and distance from the main government administration and commercial centre in Nukuʻalofa.
Aim:
To empower women, their families and communities to achieve equitable share and human rights in all aspects of national development.
Tongan Community Development Trust, (n.d). Retrieved September 1, 2019, from https://www.tcdt.to/index.html)
Ama Takiloa means leading or everlasting light, and see women as the 'everlasting light' in the home, which is why they work with women and families. So this programme is 'light the way for women'. The idea of all their programmes is to ensure succession and remove their need to be in a community, Faka Tupu - Regenerative, Re-grow or Rise up is a vital value they hold with this multi-faceted project.
Faka Tupu, waht does this mean in practice? It's the establishment of sustainable food where families are both taught to and then grow their own food and on some occasions including enough to share within their community and extra to sell at markets. They form women's groups to mentor and support each other in the community with advice, seedlings, and training - Faka tupu. This may seem obvious to many reading this, however, the quality of soil can be challenging, and learning these techniques have become a distant skill for many. Reestablishing these cultures are key to people improving their quality of food consumption and life. It also brings people together in a positive way socially and for a greater need.
Water is a critical element we all need. Clean water is often the challenge in many areas in the world! The TCDT work tirelessly with locals to help them establish fresh drinking water. Town supplies are not safe, and so rainwater off roofs are a simple solution to alleviate this. The challenge is getting the resources such as 50 - 100 thousand litre water tanks, piping, guttering and connections to enable the infrastructure to be put in. Also, the cost is prohibitive to many families not being able to purchase the equipment. Progress is slow. However, slow progress is happening and the Tongan Trust staff are doing a fantastic job in getting people over the line to clean water.
Reflections:
The Tongan Community Development Trust is made up of amazing people. To have had the chance to meet the staff and families we did enrich our own lives and made our journey to Tonga worth every second of it. There is no doubt it is a Kingdom built on a monarchy where people are blessed in land and what they have. It is a country where it is rooted deeply in its culture, yet at the same time faces enormous challenges with limited resources, distribution of wealth and the looming impacts of climate change that will inevitably affect the population in the near future. Tonga is the first Pacific nation to have a written document committing their country to take action on climate change. And they join many other nations that have the intelligence to see the future of the world, and not sit arrogantly, isolating themselves from the environmental changes that are occurring right now. Tonga could now potentially show the maturity ahead of bigger nations like Australia and the U.S.A. that choose to bury their heads in the sand through their own political arrogance.
Generational Success
The image below gives a stellar example of the successful impact of the Tongan Trust. Living at this families home the grandmother in her early 80s lives with family, Mother, daughters and grandchildren. They successfully have created clean water from rainwater, grow their own food, manage chickens to gain eggs, food and some to sell at market. This programme combines the magic of several aspects where it has empowered the woman of the house to make their own successful life. This is a wonderful example of woman making a difference.
It would be amazing to see Tonga establish a few things that would help like:
- Ban plastic bags and replace with paper bags
- Clean up all rubbish around the island
We loved the 'Get healthy' programme and to see a huge crowd at the waterfront doing Zumba class was inspiring. Fantastic initiatives like this will slowly see a happier healthy population.
These issues are common all around the world in every country and whatever the issue there is no doubt Tongan people are kind and deeply rooted in their culture. It is a beautiful place and their hearts are weaved of soft golden kindness.
Andy & Jo :)
Please leave a comment below.
For more images go to my travel gallery and click on Tongan People & Culture.
https://www.andythompsonphotographynz.co.nz/portfolio/travel-photography