Former All Blacks, Charles Piutau, the Bristol Bears Rugby Club and other UK rugby communities have donated a total of £45,850 GBP (estimated TOP$136,000) to support disaster relief efforts through Friends of Tonga [2] (FoT), an affiliate of the Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT).

President and Co-founder of FoT, Michael Hassett, said they were overwhelmed with gratitude to Charles and the Bristol Bears Rugby Club [3] (where he plays) who raised £23,000 GBP to support their disaster relief efforts.

“This effort was supported by multiple rugby communities, including the Wales Scarlets Rugby Club who contributed over £2,000 GBP to the effort. To make this even more amazing, all of this was matched by a generous donor, resulting in an incredible £45,850 GBP contribution to FoT.”

“We are honored and consider ourselves Bears fans and Piutau fans for life,” he said.

Funds are going towards short-term relief providing water, sanitation, and hygiene services (W.A.S.H) and food via CSFT and MORDI Tonga to vulnerable communities impacted by the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption.

“Once the impacted communities have been stabilized, we intend to start providing support to the schools and education centres that were destroyed.”

Friends of Tonga have already provided much needed food and water to Fonoi through CSFT, when they heard the island had limited food for three weeks.

“We were able to fund 30 sacks of root crops and 5 boxes of chicken.”

“Our support was further augmented by the Red Cross, which contributed 10 buckets of biscuits, 30 bags of root crop and New Zealand which supplied fresh water.”

In addition, FoT also helped fund the CSFT cash for crops program, where volunteers helped farmers harvest their crops before residual saltwater from the tsunami spoiled them. These crops are then donated to displaced communities and in return, farmers are given monetary support to continue to support their livelihoods and families (e.g. being able to replant crops and pay school fees).  

Other projects supported include a school rebuilding program for communities that are in most need and the fewest resources. Michael said they are waiting to hear from the Ministry of Education on which schools need the most support.

Friends of Tonga is a non-profit organization, founded by returned Peace Corps volunteers.