Laurel, Maryland – Friends of Tonga has established a partnership with the Pacific Islander
Festival Association (PIFA), who are based in San Diego, California. PIFA conducts the largest
annual Pacific Islands cultural festival in the United States, and donates proceeds from the
festival to charities and causes benefitting Pacific Islanders.
PIFA recently made a generous donation of $10,000 USD to Friends of Tonga and expressed a
desire that the funds be used to advance environmental initiatives in Tonga.
In consultation with PIFA, Friends of Tonga has approved a wire transfer of $4,300 USD
($10,000 pa’anga) to the No Pelesitiki Campaign (NPC) to support their efforts.
NPC is an organization, located in Tonga, that focuses on raising awareness of the devastating
effects of single use plastics on the Tongan environment, and supporting community actions to
reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste.
A high-priority aim of NPC this year as they seek to expand their activities and impact is
establishing an enclosed storage unit and operations work area. NPC has already secured a
location for its proposed storage unit/work site and has acquired a large shipping container,
which will form the basis of the unit. Likewise, NPC will provide labor to convert the donated
container to its new intended use.
NPC is looking for the following funding assistance from FoT to complete this project:
1. Aluminum frame doors, windows, hardware & locks TOP 3,000
2. Trailer transport of container to site; gravel, cement and planks for site set-up
TOP 1,500
3. Water tank, frame, and all piping/gutters TOP 5,000
4. Paint & misc. building supplies to outfit the container TOP 500
Total: TOP 10,000
This structure would have a dual purpose:
1) Providing shelter from the elements for NPC's plastic recycling equipment,
2) Providing a work space for their volunteer operations staff.
NPC is one of the lead organizations in Tonga tackling the threat of single-use plastic to the
local environment and ecosystem. This work took on more urgency after the Hunga Tonga
Hunga Ha'apai Volcanic eruption. In the aftermath of the eruptions and tsunami, hundreds of
thousands of plastic bottles and packaged food flooded into Tonga. That plastic has remained in
Tonga and there are few avenues to remove this solid waste.
We are proud to partner with PIFA to support NPC and their work to make Tonga a cleaner and
healthier nation. We look forward to sharing photos and updates as we receive them from NCP
in the coming months.
Friends of Tonga is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization that seeks to connect all people with
a vested interest in the welfare of the Tongan people and to partner with local Tongan
organizations to support, enhance, and amplify educational initiatives, and opportunities in the
Kingdom of Tonga.
The Pacific Islander Festival Association is a non-profit corporation composed of members who
volunteer their time from all diversities without limit to the indigenous people of Melanesia,
Micronesia, and Polynesia. PIFA takes pride in being able to promote charitable, cultural and
educational resources to everyone. PIFA actively participates in the promotion and perpetuation
of the traditional cultures of the indigenous people of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
If you would like more information on this topic, please email friendsoftonga2018@gmail.com.
To donate to efforts like these click here.
