For more than a decade, residents of Fua‘amotu have watched neighboring communities transform through structured planning and targeted rural development programs. These efforts—guided by Community Development Plans (CDPs) and supported by Local Government and MORDI Tonga—began under the first phase of the Tonga Rural Innovation Project (TRIP I), which worked with 60 communities. In its second phase, TRIP II now engages 122 communities across the country.

While nearby villages flourished, Fua‘amotu struggled to establish a similar model. Past efforts to initiate a coordinated development process fell short, leaving residents eager but unable to move forward. The contrast with surrounding communities, many of which have become champions of rural development through TRIP I and II, underscored the urgency for change.

That turning point appears to have arrived. At Wednesday’s meeting, Fua‘amotu residents formally sought assistance from Local Government, with MORDI Tonga prepared to act as facilitator through TRIP II. The gathering served as a plenary session to establish consensus on the community’s organizational structure and next steps.

Home to a large and diverse population, Fua‘amotu is divided into eight blocks. The Community Council’s immediate task is to organize these blocks so the village can meet the criteria required to begin TRIP engagement. This includes achieving at least 80 percent adult participation in decision-making meetings—a benchmark designed to ensure broad and equitable representation of men, women, youth, and people with disabilities in all phases of planning.

Once organized, the community will proceed with the first stage of CDP formulation, joining dozens of other rural communities that have embraced locally driven development. Officials say Fua‘amotu’s decision to reinitiate the process demonstrates the growing influence of community success stories throughout Tonga, where villages that participated in earlier TRIP phases now serve as models for others seeking sustainable, inclusive development.

As the community prepares to take its first steps, Fua‘amotu stands as a reminder that when villages take ownership of their future, development becomes not only possible but transformative.

The post Fua‘amotu Moves Toward Community-Led Development After Years of Watching Neighbors Advance first appeared on MORDI Tonga.

In late March, Tonga received 24,000 vaccine doses through the COVAX facility, marking a critical step in strengthening national preparedness. Yet officials say that vaccination alone is not enough. Sustained community awareness and hygiene practices remain essential to preventing an outbreak in a country with limited health-care capacity.

Since 2020, MORDI Tonga has led a series of hygiene and sanitation awareness campaigns aimed at equipping communities with accurate information and practical tools to reduce the risk of transmission. The organization has partnered with the Tonga Police, the Tonga National Youth Congress, Caritas, and the Church of Tonga to deliver hand-washing stations to 62 community police posts across the country.

These efforts have been supported by printed educational materials and capacity-building workshops delivered by MORDI Tonga staff. The most recent round of training began with officers at the Halafakalotomua and Nahakalau community police stations in Lapaha, followed by two stations in Ha‘ateiho, as well as Makapaeo and Lomaiviti community police posts.

More resources and training sessions are scheduled to be rolled out to additional communities in the weeks following the Easter holiday. The continued outreach reflects a broader national commitment: ensuring that even the most remote villages remain informed, prepared, and protected as the pandemic evolves globally.

The post Tonga Maintains COVID-Free Status as Grassroots Campaigns Strengthen Community Preparedness 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.