Donations to assist families who lost relatives in the Ashika ferry disaster, are flowing into Tongan trust funds, with over $1 million pa'anga collected so far from local and overseas people.

The Deputy Secretary at the Prime Minister's office, Paula Ma'u estimated that the Ashika Relief Fund by now should be well over $1 million pa'anga. The Government initiated the fund with an allocation of $500,000, and other contributors have included the Tonga Chinese Friendship Association, the Chinese Government, the British Government and the Israel Government.

Other financial assistance to bereaved families has come from other sources, including a local company, the Melie Mei Langi Money Transfer, which carried out fund raising locally and from overseas; and the Tongan government from its $15 million National Emergency Fund that was established following the 16/11 destruction in Nuku'alofa.

Both the Tongan government and the Melie Mei Langi used the same formula to distribute their assistance.

Paula Ma'u said that the government allocation was $2,000 per head, for the families of 67 people lost at sea, who included 66 Tongan nationals and one Niuean. These were 43 from Tongatapu, 15 from Vava'u and nine from Ha'apai. Excluded from these figures were five foreign nationals, a German couple, a French girl, a Hungarian man, and a Japanese man. He said that financial assistance to next of kin of these foreign nationals would come from the Trust Fund that had been established, called the "Ashika Relief Fund".

Paula said that when government completed its financial assistance at the end of last week, it had paid out a total of $134,000.

Melie Mei Langi distribution

Melie Mei Langi was using the same formula for their distribution, excepting that they were giving away $2,500 for each victim.

Samiuela Fangaloka of the Melie Mei Langi Money Transfer, said on September 1 that their distribution in Tongatapu was carried out on August 13 at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall by the Crown Prince Tupouto'a-Lavaka, and he would travel to Ha'apai and Vava'u this weekend to complete their distribution. Samiuela was hopeful for a second round as more donations were still coming in.

Ashika Relief Fund

The trustees for the Ashika Relief Trust Fund include the Chairman, Rev Dr 'Ahio, the president of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga; and the three other trustees are Rev Feke Mafi of Church of Tonga; Bishop Soane Patita Mafi of the Catholic Diocese; and Elder Sione Fineanganofo of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.

Rev. Dr 'Ahio confirmed yesterday that the trustees had not met since their appointment.

Tonga Red Cross

The Tonga Red Cross meanwhile has received $100,000 from the Australian government, to assist with its counselling work with the families of the victims of the Ashika ferry disaster.

Overseas Tongans are also fund raising and trying to find ways that they can help.

Currently in Tonga, Sione Tupouniua from the Tonga-American Community came to meet the families of the victims and to find out how they might be helped.