Eight wheelchairs donated by the Rotary New Zealand World Community Service was presented to Mango Tree Respite Centre for the disabled at Houmakelikao, on September 24.

Korean missionary couple Rev. In-Kwon Kim and wife Jeong-Seok received the wheechairs handed over by Rotary Club of Nuku'alofa.

Rotary Club Nuku'alofa President, Marsha Cato, said Mango Tree has a great long-term relationship, and they are happy to continue the good tradition. 

She thanked the New Zealand High Commissioner, HE Tiffany Babington, for helping with the transportation of the wheelchairs to Tonga.

Meanwhile, Rotary Nuku'alofa is also looking to support the Mango Tree Centre with the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC).

They are planning a fundraiser in November ROMAC is one of the aims for funding. 

ROMAC provides surgical treatment for children in Australia and New Zealand from developing countries in Pacific in the form of Life Giving and/or dignity restoring surgery not accessible to them in their home country.

Helping disabled

Since 2007, the Kims have improved the quality of life for Tonga’s most severely crippled people by running the rehabilitation centre that provides free physiotherapy and counseling to disabled people and their families in Tonga.

Rev. In-Kwon said the Rotary Club has helped the Mango Tree Centre in the past, when they built a sandpit and playground.

There are 130 clients that are looked after by centre, 60 are children with disabilities like cerebral palsy. The rest have disabilities such as intellect impairment, spinal cord injury and those paralyzed, he said.

In addition, the centre runs a home visit program where they visit these people with disabilities.

“We do home visit now for spinal cord injuries, where they have bed sores, and we check wound. We have wound care team here from New Zealand this week and they are helping us out."

The Mango Tree Centre currently has five staff, that includes only the couple and three Tongans.

Rev. In-Kwon said every year they have about two volunteers working at the centre, although there are none now, they are expecting volunteers soon.