Five thousand pairs of footwear from the Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee will be distributed to key schools that were affected in the volcanic eruption and tsunamis, on 15 January.

The donation was received by the Civil Society Forum Tonga (CSFT) who welcomed ATRC members, at the Tonga National Youth Congress Office at Sopu, on 8 December.

Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee started with a family-to-family relief appeal, in response to the disaster. They shipped more than 60 containers of relief items from families in New Zealand, to Tonga.

Additional containers were sent via the Government of Tonga, with gifts form New Zealand including boats, tractors and forklifts. It’s anticipated that the remaining three forklifts could come onboard the MV ‘Otuangaofa, which is currently in Auckland.

This is their 90^th container, and last one for Tonga, after the eruptions and Covid-19 outbreak earlier this year, stated the Civil Society.

Maka Pailate led the ATRC delegation to deliver the container of footwear. He is also a Board Member of the Friends of Tonga (Returned Peace Corps from Tonga), which is a partner of CSFT and a member of the Humanitarian Hub.

It was through that link that Civil Society Forum of Tonga Humanitarian Hub was selected to be the local contacts to help distribute the footwear. CSFT will also be responsible for collation of beneficiary data for ATRC reporting back to donors.

At the presentation were ATRC delegation including Soana Muimuieata, Rev ‘Ikilifi Pope and Havelulahi.

CSFT Chairman of the Board of Director, Drew Havea, Tonga Red Cross Secretary-General, Sione Taumoefolau, Executive Director of CARITAS Tonga, Suliana Falemaka, Rev. Sione Misinale and other representatives from civil societies were present.