Photos by Pesi Fonua

A neighbourly concern for the many children who go to school hungry in the morning, has moved a Kolomotu’a family to provide free breakfasts for over 100 children at their local school, twice a week.

Every Tuesday and Thursday mornings, the children line up at GPS Kolomotu’a, between 7:00am and 8:00am to eat their share of cereal and milk, generously provided by Dr Taniela Palu and his wife Talaivosa. This morning the Class Six children were the first to arrive and the other classes were to follow at different times.

It is estimated that around 150 out of 300 school children at GPS Kolomotu’a go without breakfast every day.

Dr Palu said the idea to establish the program started when the Palu’s seven-year-old granddaughter, Alamea, told them how some children in her class had asked to share her lunch many times.

“You can imagine her lunch pack got bigger so there was enough for her friends. It got to a state when she brought groups of children home for lunch,” he said.

“No doubt this is the reality of the life of many families in Tonga and I believe that in most communities there are children who go to school without breakfast and the same children may not have food for lunch.”

Dr Palu and his family were so moved by their granddaughter's concern about these children that they decided to start a program to provide a healthy and nutritious breakfast of milk and cereal for the children who attend GPS Kolomotu’a. 

Around 7 to 8 kilograms of Weetbix and cornflakes and approximately 18 liters of milk are consumed in one sitting. Cornflakes is the most popular choice, however to encourage the children to eat more Weetbix, Dr Palu reminded them that “Jonah Lomu used to eat Weetbix for breakfast”, which was enough to persuade the boys to try it.

The program began three weeks ago with over 60 children enjoying breakfast in the first week and has grown to over a hundred students now joining in.

Dr Palu said the program has several benefits for the school children, including promoting healthy brains and physical development, as well as educating them about healthy eating.

“There is strong scientific evidence that the most important meal of the day is breakfast, and for the children this breakfast of milk with cereal is highly recommended,” he said.

It is also an opportunity to stress the importance of hand washing and to learn table manners in the programme that demonstrates Christian principles.

“Above all, I believe this is God’s calling to our family through Alamea’s eyes,” said Dr Palu.

The Palu’s have set up a family trust for the breakfast program and are buying cereal from Sanitarium’s Auckland office, and he said Sanitarium had been very generous and supportive of their mission. In addition, the Minister of Revenue and Customs and the Pacific Islands cargo freights are supporting the program.