Tonga donates $600k to Canterbury quake relief

  • Breaking
  • 30/09/2010

By Dylan Moran

Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele has today donated $630,000 to Canterbury’s Mayoral Red Cross Fund.

Mr Sevele launched an appeal following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Canterbury on September 4, saying that the money collected would be handed over by the first week of October.

Today he lived up to that promise, meeting Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker to hand over the money, which was raised through a Government donation, a promotion by radio station A3Z and charity drives, such as school mufti days.

Mr Parker was relieved to receive the donation, saying “to receive this gift is so uplifting and I know every single person in Christchurch and the surrounding area will find themselves so moved by this.”

The Tongan Prime Minister is preparing for his country’s election but says that helping those affected by the quake was important to him and the Tongan public.

“We in Tonga have had our fair share of disasters over the years and many people overseas have come to our assistance,” says Mr Sevele.

“New Zealand has always been the first to come to our rescue, therefore the Government and the people of Tonga have said ‘well I think despite the meager resources we have and despite the hard times it is time we put our hands together and see what we can put together to help out with the recovery efforts in Christchurch.”

The New Zealand International Aid and Development Agency is donating $17m in aid to Tonga in 2010/2011, increasing to $18m in 2011/2012.

This aid is used to improve economic performance, support political reform in the kingdom and support education.

Mr Sevele does not believe that Tonga’s reliance on diplomatic aid means that the money raised for Canterbury would be better spent on his country.

“Even a poor man can give a penny or two and we think it is the thought behind it that counts,” he says.

Mr Sevele attended school at Christchurch’s St Bedes College and says he contacted several of his old classmates after the earthquake.

“I still have a lot of connections here and I’m in touch with them, so it’s a pity that this has happened but for us these kinds of disasters happen more frequently so it is a chance for us to extend a helping hand to other people,” says Mr Sevele.

A container of Tongan watermelons pledged by the Tonga-New Zealand Business Council to the people of Christchurch is yet to leave Tonga.

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source: newshub archive