Tonga’s Minister for Finance, the Honourable Otunuku, and the Australian High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Tonga, His Excellency Brek Batley, have formally signed the Tala Kei Kapa: Prepare, Respond, Recover humanitarian investment, marking a key step in strengthening disaster resilience across the Kingdom.
The Tala Kei Kapa initiative is designed to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and recovery systems across Tonga. The program aligns with Tonga’s Disaster Risk Management framework and promotes coordinated action across government agencies and local communities.
Backed by an AUD 10 million investment from Australia, Tala Kei Kapa combines direct support to the Government of Tonga with targeted grant funding for civil society organisations.
This dual approach aims to enhance national coordination and institutional capacity while empowering community-led resilience initiatives throughout the Kingdom.
As part of today’s ceremony, four civil society organisations were awarded grants to implement practical programs that will strengthen preparedness and build community resilience.
The recipients include the Tonga Leiti Association, Tonga Red Cross Society, Tonga National Youth Congress, and Live & Learn.
With humanitarian needs increasing globally, Tala Kei Kapa will play a critical role in supporting community preparedness, planning, training, and response capacity.
Tala Kei Kapa reflects the enduring spirit of kaume’a ‘ofi—a close and trusted partnership between Tonga and Australia—focused on building a safer, stronger, and more resilient Tonga.
