The program, driven by the district’s nine communities and rooted in their Community Development Plans, marks one of the most ambitious efforts in recent years to revive a craft that has faded with the rise of modern boats and imported materials. Under the direction of District Officer Sione Tu‘ifio Finau and nine Town Officers, 90 participants—five adult men and five youths from each community—will spend 14 days learning to carve, maintain, and paddle the vessels their ancestors relied upon for survival.

When the sawdust settles, the district expects to launch 20 new canoes: two for each participating community and two for the district itself. The logs, sourced locally, were donated by residents as an in-kind contribution to the training.

At the center of the workshop stands Master Carver Sione Tu‘ione Pulotu, one of the few remaining practitioners with the knowledge to build a traditional popao from raw timber. Assisted by three expert carvers, he will guide participants through techniques passed down through generations—skills that experts worry may vanish as elders age and younger Tongans increasingly turn to modern technologies.

The initiative is supported through the Tonga Rural Innovation Project II (TRIP II), a government program implemented by MORDI Tonga and funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Beyond cultural preservation, the project is rooted in practical necessity. For many households in Tonga’s outer islands, shallow-water fishing remains a primary source of food and income. Fresh fish and gleaned shellfish helped sustain families during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global disruptions curtailed shipping and imports.

Officials say the new outrigger canoes will improve access to near-shore fisheries, bolstering diets in a country grappling with high rates of non-communicable diseases. “These canoes are not just vessels—they are pathways to healthier lives,” District Officer Finau said in his remarks, offering a vote of thanks to the community members and partners involved.

The training also responds to local concerns about rising youth disengagement. Communities reported climbing numbers of school dropouts and identified the need for meaningful skills training for young men. By pairing cultural revitalization with practical livelihood skills, leaders hope to strengthen economic resilience while reconnecting a new generation to its heritage.

As Tonga faces intensifying climate impacts—storms, cyclones, and coastal erosion—traditional environmental knowledge is receiving renewed attention worldwide for its role in adaptation and sustainable resource management. In ‘Eua, the revival of canoe carving is more than an exercise in nostalgia; it is an attempt to reclaim knowledge that helped island communities live in balance with their environment for centuries.

On the training grounds today, participants surrounded the long cedar logs, listening as the Master Carver demonstrated the first cuts. For a moment, the setting felt timeless—wood, tools, and hands working together, shaping not only canoes but the future of their communities.

The post Reviving a Canoe Tradition to Sustain Communities and Preserve Culture first appeared on MORDI Tonga.

Yet in Tonga, where extreme weather events and natural disasters are becoming increasingly frequent, rebuilding efforts have often overlooked the needs of people with limited mobility. Homes and community infrastructure are frequently restored without consideration for accessibility, leaving people with disabilities at heightened risk during emergencies and constraining their quality of life long after disasters pass.

A new partnership aims to change that. MORDI Tonga, supported by CARE and funded by the Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs, has joined forces with the Ministry of Health’s Rehabilitation Department and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help people with disabilities better integrate into their communities. Together, the organizations have launched an initiative to improve mobility and access for households in some of Tonga’s most isolated outer islands.

In Fotuha‘a, a remote raised coral atoll in the Ha‘apai group known for its hazardous coastline and lack of a proper wharf, the community identified three families in urgent need of support. The island, home to fewer than 100 people across 23 households, presents daily mobility challenges that are magnified for people with disabilities. Similarly, in Hunga, Vava‘u—where 232 residents live amid rugged terrain—community leaders noted a number of individuals facing mobility constraints, including elderly residents, amputees, and a polio survivor.

For these households, limited mobility has long been exacerbated by inadequate infrastructure and homes not designed with accessibility in mind. Under the new program, families have now received custom-built ramps to allow safer, easier movement in and out of their homes. These seemingly simple additions are transforming the lives of residents who can now participate more fully in community life.

The household ramps initiative builds upon previous efforts, including the Hunga Road project—a collaboration between IFAD, MORDI Tonga, the Government of India, and the community of Hunga—to establish a critical link from farmland to the Vava‘u mainland. That road not only improved market access but also opened opportunities for people with disabilities who had long been isolated by geography.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints further contributed to the current effort by donating wheelchairs to the Ministry of Health’s Rehabilitation Department, whose specialists assessed and distributed the equipment according to individual needs. MORDI Tonga, through its project with CARE and BHA, facilitated the provision of materials and coordinated implementation with Town and District Officers.

Beyond physical improvements, the initiative underscores a broader commitment to weaving gender and disability inclusion into disaster risk management, climate adaptation, and community planning. For MORDI Tonga, these activities are central to the development of Community Development Plans, ensuring that vulnerable groups are not only acknowledged but prioritized in the country’s path toward resilience.

As Tonga continues to confront the challenges of climate change, partnerships like this demonstrate that rebuilding is not just about restoring structures—it’s about restoring dignity, championing equality, and ensuring that no one is left behind.

The post Rebuilding With Inclusion: Tonga Enhances Support for People With Disabilities first appeared on MORDI Tonga.