Friends of Tonga is thrilled to announce that we were able to connect the internationally recognized nonprofit GlobalMedic with The Civil Society Forum of Tonga. GlobalMedic’s goal is “to get the right aid to the right people at the right time.” They have indeed lived up to this goal by providing disaster relief to Tonga in the wake of the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption. Over the summer, they deployed their RescUAV Team to deliver Drone Pilot Training to participants from organizations around Tonga, which included the Tonga Police, National Emergency Management Office, Tonga Civil Aviation Division, Tonga Geological & Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Forestry, Tonga Fire & Emergency Services and others. Over the course of this 5 day training their team worked to increase the response capacity of the participating agencies so when the next natural disaster occurs they are better equipped to gather information.
Read the full press release here.