Save the Children is proud to announce three new projects to prioritise, protect and promote Tongan children.
Fakafuo ‘o e tangata ma’ae kaha’u (Future-Ready Children) will support the implementation of the Government of Tonga’s child protection policy. This project is a three-year partnership between Save the Children and the Government of Tonga (Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Education and Training) under the DFAT-funded Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
In response to January’s destructive Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcano eruption, which affected more than 80 per cent of Tonga’s population, including impacting every single school, Save the Children and Tonga’s Ministry of Education and Training have partnered to prioritise resilience and risk reduction in the education sector. The AHP Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai and COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Activation will train representatives at all schools in Tonga to take actions to better prepare for risks and emergencies and also establish a Safe Schools Committee to coordinate resilience and disaster risk reduction activities and drills, and improve policy planning and guidance. This project will be funded by the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP).
Global Partnership for Education (GPE) funded programs have been rolling out in Tonga since 2020, supporting access to online and offline learning materials and teacher training during times of crisis. The newly approved GPE – Government of Tonga Partnership, supported by Save the Children and the Australian High Commission in Tonga, will build on the success of previous programs to make sure every Tongan child receives a quality and inclusive education.
Save the Children Pacific Regional Director Kim Koch said:
“In any crisis, children are always the most vulnerable, and the compounding effects of multiple events – such as Covid-19 and the eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai – can severely affect their physical safety and emotional wellbeing.
“Save the Children is incredibly proud to be working with local partners to support the recovery, resilience, education and wellbeing of children in Tonga with these new projects,” Ms. Koch said.
Acting CEO of GPE, Charles North said:
“The GPE accelerated grant will help strengthen the resilience of Tonga’s education system to crises. Through this funding, children will be able to continue learning via an online platform even during emergencies.”
CEO of Ministry of Education & Training, Dr Tangikina Moimoi Steen said:
“Building a resilient education system for Tonga is paramount to ensure students’ learning will continue, despite any school closures due to disasters or pandemic. What it means for Tonga is that all components of the education system are working together coherently to provide high quality learning outcomes for all students, at all times.
Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Rachael Moore said:
“Australia is proud to support Tonga’s preparation, response and recovery from natural disasters. I appreciate the Government of Tonga puts the wellbeing of people and communities at the center of their impressive disaster response efforts.”
“Australia is pleased to work with Save the Children to provide these projects which will assist the Government of Tonga implement their Child Protection policy, and, separately, provide better access to education despite the challenges of the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami.”
“We are part of the Pacific family, and family is there in good times and bad.”
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: media.team@savethechildren.org.au.
NOTES TO EDITOR:
GPE is a shared commitment to ending the world’s learning crisis. We mobilize partners and funds to support 82 lower-income countries to transform their education systems so that every girl and boy can get the quality education they need to unlock their full potential and contribute to building a better world. www.globalpartnership.org.