A new community hall was handed over to the village of ‘Atata Si’i today 17 June 2024 by the President of the Nippon Foundation, Mr Takeju Ogata, from Tokyo Japan.

The hall, equipped with 240 tables and chairs, was one of three funded by the Nippon Foundation, a private and non-profit grant-making organization. The Prime Minister was joined by Mr Ogata in the ribbon cutting ceremony, officially handing over the new community hall to the people of ‘Atata Si’i.

The PM Hon. Hu’akavameiliku said that these community halls could be used to host night classes for students, festivals or for church functions.

Since the village moved to the new location, following the HTHH tsunami in 2022, they had relied on tents. Churches at the village were still functioning from tents, include the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga and the Siasi O Tonga Tauataina, he said.

“The aim is for these community halls to host night classes for students as they prepare for their future exams, to host community festivities or even be a place of worship.”

The total funding from the Nippon Foundation amounted to $1.3 million pa’anga. The other two community halls included one for the displaced Kanokupolu community at Matatoa, and another for the displaced Mango community at Ta'anga, 'Eua.

The Nippon Foundation President said that another part of this project included 30y boat motors that were handed over in February this year.

Mr Tajeku said that the Foundation’s relationship with the Kingdom of Tonga goes back to time of the late King Tupou IV.

“Nippon Foundation’s founder and late chairman (Ryōichi Sasakawa), whom I admired the most, was the Honorary Consul for Tonga during the rule of his late Majesty King Tupou IV,” he said.

Attending the handover ceremony were the Ambassador of Japan to Tonga, HE Mr Inagaku Hisao, the Minister for Infrastructure, Hon. Seventini Toumo’ua and other government officials.