Results for Outer Islands

King Tupou VI opened Ha'apai's colourful Royal Agricultural, Fisheries and Tonga Made Show today Wednesday, 3 August in Pangai.

“Thumbs up, and mission accomplished,” declared Lt. Col. Josh Wineera at a gathering at Lea-‘a e-Tohi Ground, Pangai, Ha’apai on Saturday, 23 July, to commemorate the completion of Tropic Twilight 16 humanitarian program. While the program addressed a need for better water storage and sanitation in Lifuka and Foa, it was obvious that Ha’apai is still struggling to recover from the devastating impact of Cyclone Ian in January 2014. By Pesi Fonua

A multi-purpose training centre for the 120 people living on the small island of Lofanga in the Ha’apai Group was commissioned on Wednesday, 6 July, funded with $183,914 pa’anga under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots and Human Security project.

Tonga’s inter-island ferry MV ‘Otuanga‘ofa has suspended all trips to the outer islands, and is expected to be out of action for three months awaiting delivery of a new rudder.

Community patrol volunteers in ‘Eua this week received much needed equipment from Tonga Police to help keep their communities safe and reduce crime.

China provided 15 water tanks for primary schools in Ha'apai and tractors worth around $157,000 pa’anga to help agriculture at Foa, on 18 March.

A multi-million dollar project to restore Ha’apai’s electricity network, after it was wrecked by Tropical Cyclone Ian in early 2014, was completed recently. Tonga Power Ltd reported that Cyclone Ian left 971 customers without electricity, and damaged 90% of the network lines, 65% of transformers, and a generator. The rebuilding project provided equal opportunity for women and men in the workforce.

Apart from loss of agricultural food crops, some damage to schools, Ngu Hospital and HMAF Camp Fangatongo, Vava‘u has emerged from Cyclone Winston’s two close passes without significant damage to major infrastructure, an official assessment survey has concluded. Australia delivered 400 mosquito nets in partnership with the Tonga Red Cross Society to help control the spread of Zika virus after the cyclone.

A new spring water system for Houma village on the outer island of ‘Eua was commissioned on Monday, 11 January.