Friends of Tonga Named 2026 .ORG Impact Awards Finalist

Selected from 4,242 submissions representing 145 countries, Friends of Tonga is one of just 35 finalists worldwide and one of five organizations recognized in the Environmental Stewardship category.

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Our Priorities

Friends of Tonga strives to meet human-developmental, educational, environmental, and disaster response needs throughout the Kingdom of Tonga. All programming and projects are designed and implemented in collaboration with Tongan communities.

Education

Tongan students lack access to educational resources, native English speakers, and adequate physical spaces for optimal early-childhood learning. We’re working to change that.

 

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Environment

We advocate and spread awareness of environmental issues facing Tonga, and team up with Tongan communities on the front lines of natural disasters to distribute aid and create resilience.

 

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Community

Friends of the Tongan people live around the world. We facilitate international connections and understanding through online gatherings and events, intercultural exchange opportunities, and more.

 

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Donate Today

Your generosity supports our community-led education and environment initiatives.

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Helping Tonga Thrive

Friends of Tonga has wide-ranging impacts across the Kingdom of Tonga. In tandem with local experts and community leaders, our work has touched dozens of communities from the capital city to the most remote islands.

What We Do

🌊 Impacts in Disaster Relief

  • Distributed 60+ Rainwater cisterns across every island group;
  • Supported water, sanitation, and hygiene services (W.A.S.H.) Services to 5,000+ individuals;
  • Built the disaster relief distribution center for the Civil Society Forum of Tonga;
  • Coordinated the procurement and distribution of 1,500+ emergency kits from international nonprofit and for-profit organizations;
  • Supported the construction of a greenhouse to replant the vegetables destroyed by the 2022 tsunami;
  • Distributed vegetable seedlings to over 439 families;
  • Supported emergency food distribution to 148 families across critically impacted communities;
  • Provided disaster relief scholarships to 105 families;
  • Supported 6 counseling certifications for community leaders to equip them with crisis management and recovery.

✏️ Impacts in Education

  • Provided 200+ scholarships to low-resourced students;
  • Created an online video resource library for every student, teacher, and volunteer in Tonga, with the goal of having one book for every day of the Tongan school year;
  • Built the first cyclone and earthquake resistant kindergarten in all of Tonga.
  • Supported a sandal distribution to over 5,000 students.

🌱 Impacts in Environmental Support

  • Provided financial support for aquaculture farming programming;
  • Underwrote single-use plastic mitigation programming;
  • Supported trash clean ups.

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What’s New

The latest from Friends of Tonga.

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