Auckland, NZ – Six containers filled with donated goods were scheduled to be on their way to Tonga next week while the Auckland community just keeps on giving.
Jenny Latu Salesa, Chairwoman of the Ha’apai Relief Committee in Auckland said yesterday they were expecting three containers to be filled by tomorrow Saturday 18.
But it quickly became apparent that they were not going to be enough as items flowed into the Orly Rd Methodists Church of Lotofale’ia to be sent to Tonga to help Ha'apai cyclone victims.
“I am grateful and truly humbled by everyone's generosity. The Ha'apai Relief Committee has received food parcels, drums and boxes of non-perishable food from hundreds of families here in NZ to send to their loved ones in Ha'apai,” Salesa said.
“We have also received donations of food from many Samoan, Palangi, Maori, Niuean families and many others.
“We had initially hoped to fill 3 containers by this Saturday and we've ended up with 6 full containers instead.
“It is amazing to see Tongans coming together and working collaboratively to achieve a set goal in such a tight time frame.
“Filling 3 containers a day over a two-day period is just superb and being at Lotofale'ia with hundreds of Tongans coming together like this is just so heart-warming,” Salesa told Kaniva News.
The first three containers will leave on Monday 20 while the next three will leave Auckland on Wednesday 22.
Salesa said the Monday’s vessel will go through Fiji and Samoa before it is expected to arrive in Tonga on February 10.
Three containers were provided free by the Pacific Direct Line (PDL) and the other three from former All Blacks, Michael Jones.
Transportation costs have been met by the Auckland Mayoral Disaster Fund.
