Caritas partnerships in
Tonga
and
Papua New Guinea
Caritas in Tonga
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand in partnership with
CaritasTonga are running a revolving loan scheme on
Tonga’s main island Tongatapu and the second largest
island, Vava’u.
The NZ Aid programme has allocated NZ$560,260
between 2012-2014.
The loans are for tapa making,
mat weaving, pig and chicken
farming, fishing and growing
food crops like yams and
peanuts.
Where is Tonga?
The kingdom of Tonga consists of many small
islands spread over the Pacific ocean. The
background is an aerial photo of an island from
the Ha’apai group of islands, taken while flying
towards Vava’u in the Northern group.
On the next slide is a map. The biggest island is
Tongatapu. If you flew from Aotearoa New
Zealand you would land near Tonga’s capital –
Nuku’alofa at Fua’amotu airport.
Map of Tonga
Helping out in Tonga
The livelihood project will allow people to supplement their
income through micro-enterprise. The groups of 8-15 people
must complete workshops in financial management and
monitoring to be eligible for the scheme. This picture shows
women completing application forms for a loan.
Micro enterprise
tapa making scheme
.
Women in Houma work together to glue pieces of tapa
together to make one large cloth.
Large tapa mats are sold to Tongans living overseas as well as
tourists from USA, Australia and New Zealand.
They can be worth anything between $1000 and $5000.
The income gets divided into thirds – the bank account of the
group; individual accounts; Caritas Tonga.
.
Lisa Vehikite, leader of a tapa group.
She says being part of the project has helped her
to pay school fees and have extra money to give
to her children for lunch at school.
Over three years the scheme aims to reach 43
micro-enterprise groups involving 425
households in 21 villages. A total of 1314 women.
Tapa making
The group can make about four of these large mats
a year. First the mulberry plant is beaten flat for
many days.
Then the group paste the flat pieces
together using a ‘glue’ made from
cassava.
Decorating the tapa
Once flattened as a large mat a pattern is
painted using vegetable dyes. This is
made from the sap of the mangrove tree
using a pointed stone or a brush made
from the pandanus plant.
Ready for sale after many hours of careful hand work.
Uses for tapa - ngatu
Traditionally tapa was used for many things:
Bed sheets, blankets, towels, insect netting,
room dividers, bandages, clothing, house
decorations, kites, flags.
Today it is important for community
celebrations like weddings and funerals. Tapa
is used for dancing costumes. Caritas
encourages people to preserve thier cultural
traditions.
Other challenges facing Tonga
The effects of rapid climate change
include:
More extreme weather such as cyclones
and drought;
Rising sea levels;
Salination of the soils;
Water and food shortages;
King tides (exceptionally high tides)
Where will
the families
move to?
Caritas Tonga 350
A small but energetic
group are working hard
to advocate for change.
One thing they have
done was to plant
mangroves around the
coastline near
Nuku’alofa.
What are we doing in
New Zealand?
Caritas in Papua New Guinea
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is working in
partnership with Caritas Papua New Guinea on a
livelihoods programme. Total cost NZ$725,000.
It aims to improve the living conditions of
approximately 4500 families in ten villages in West
New Britain, Manus and Bougainville.
The programme will provide
support for diversifying crops
and fishing. It also reduces
disaster risks by improving
food security and safe water
supply.
Where is Papua New Guinea?
Papua New Guinea consists of many small islands
spread over the Pacific ocean.
On the next slide is a map. The biggest island is
divided into two different countries. The Caritas
partnership featured here is in the part shaded
green. If you flew from Aotearoa New Zealand you
would land in Papua New Guinea’s capital – Port
Moresby. This story is about our partnership in
West New Britain.
Map of Papua
New Guinea.
Can you
locate the
island of New
Britain just off
the coast
from
Madang?
Helping out in Kimbe
In 2008, Caritas Papua New Guinea was alarmed at
the harmful impacts of logging, palm oil plantations,
mining and natural disasters on local communities.
They organised a programme that helped to identify
ways to ensure the people of West New Britain and,
Manus provinces, and the towns of Vanimo (West
Sepik) and Kamusie (Western Province) would be
able to live in sustainable ways.
In 2010 a pilot income generating project was set
up in Kimbe to plant cocoa, coconut seedlings
and other food crops.
The alternative was to sell
their customary lands to big
palm oil corporations.
The local people chose to grow cocoa
themselves rather than sell land for
growing palm oil.
Growing cocoa
The hot chocolate you drink is made from cocoa
which comes from the cocoa bean pods.
The story of chocolate is a story where many
people are involved from the farmer who grows
the trees, to the people who transport the beans
to the factory, to the factory workers who make
the different cocoa products.
Each of the people in the
chain should get paid a
fair price for their efforts.
Kapo island
The people on Kapo island want to keep their
own land.
They want to make sure their grand children
have land to live on which will support them
with food and an income.
They have been growing cocoa trees in the
nursery but they need more trees for the families.
They have told Caritas they need 35,000 seedlings
and a boat to take the cocoa beans to the main
town 700Km away. Both come at a cost.
Why not palm oil?
Reduces amount of land for growing food.
Uses up soil fertility.
Buys up family land.
Clearance of forests means loss of biodiversity.
Endangers wildlife.
WHAT
CAN YOU
DO TO
HELP?
Summary
Tonga livelihoods project $560,260 from 2012-2014
Next challenge?
How to support families affected by the rising sea
levels?
Papua New Guinea livelihoods project $725,000 from
2012-2014.
Next challenge?
How to obtain enough money for cocoa seedlings
and a boat?
To walk faithfully the Way
To speak courageously the Truth
To live joyfully the Life
Partnerships for Change
Caritas Aotearoa
New Zealand
Lent 2013
Thank you to everyone who contributed to
this presentation.
Photographs by:
Emily Benefield, Philip Gibbs, Leo Duce,
Tara D’Sousa, Caritas Tonga.
www.caritas.org.nz