Lehi Tonga builds “buddy benches” to tackle bullying [1]
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - 11:54. Updated on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - 11:58.
A Tongan-American boy scout, Lehi Tonga Jnr. (16) has won recognition after he built ‘buddy benches’ for a local elementary school in his small town of Holly Grove in North Carolina to help tackle school bullying.
According to the News & Local Observer, Lehi Tonga Jnr. built two buddy benches and donated them to Holly Grove Elementary School last week, March 26. Lehi was greeted by over 30 happy and curious elementary students as he delivered the benches. He explained to the local paper, “If you’re a student there and you are ever feeling lonely or sad, you can go sit on those benches – If students see a classmate at the benches, he encourages them to introduce themselves and make new friends. I think that’s very important, because bullying starts at a young age”.
In recognition of his efforts, the town’s Mayor Dick Sears presented Lehi and his mother Lori Tonga with an Anti-Bullying ribbon and wristband. Lehi hopes that his work will earn himself an ‘Eagle Scout’ promotion. But regardless of whether he gets the promotion, Lehi stated his satisfaction with his buddy bench initiative, “It feels great – I’m very proud of everything that I’ve accomplished."