Tonga's oldest women call their families [1]
Monday, October 3, 2005 - 19:00. Updated on Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 22:15.
Six of Tonga's oldest women including 105 year old Funaki Hafoka of Afa and103 year old Sesilia Pau'u Lakie of Houma, were treated to free phone cards so they could call their families and friends on the women's day Faka-Sepitema last Friday.
The six elderly women are members of five different churches in Tongatapu, and to mark the 2005 Faka -Sepitema on Friday September 28, Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) gave them a total of $300 pa'anga worth of phone cards.
The first presentation of the day was held at the Centenary Church, Nuku'alofa, where Tai'atu Cocker, TCC Commercial Manager presented a $50 Malo e Lelei phone calling card each to Sesilia Pau'u Lakie (103) of Houma, and 'Olivia 'Ulukihelupetea Mafile'o (97) of Kolomotu'a.
Later that day, Tai'atu also visited four elderly women who were not able to attend the Faka-Sepitema roll call and presented each of them $50 Malo e Lelei phone cards. They were Simaima Kisina (94) of Ma...ufanga, 'Oto'ota Fahina 'Eva (88) of Fasi both from the Church of Tonga, Lu'isa Tapua (81) of Pea from the Tokaikolo Church, and Funaki Hafoka (105) of Afa from the Church of Tonga.
Tai'atu said that because of the importance of the Faka-Sepitema roll call they decided to celebrate the occasion by giving away free gifts of phone cards to the eldest women from five different church denominations in Tongatapu.
Between them the six women have lived a total of 568 years so, no doubt, they had plenty of things to talk about and a lot of family members to call.