Caritas helping out in Tonga
Hello – Malo e lelei
Tonga has three main island groups. They are
Tongatapu, Vava’u and Ha’apai.
Tonga is in the Pacific Ocean.
Looking out of the plane window to some
of the islands of Tonga down below.
Caritas is helping families
We are helping to support families earn some
money.
The money pays for
important needs like
school fees, food and
doctors bills.
The money helps people.
Here are two of the ways
we are helping
Tapa making and mat weaving
Caritas Tonga and
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
working together.
Caritas is helping 13
women’s groups to
make and sell
beautiful tapa
cloth. It can be sold
to people in USA,
Australia and New
Zealand.
How to make tapa-ngatu
1. Cut the stems of the mulberry – hiapo bushes.
2. Peel off the bark leaving
tutu. Soak the tutu in water.
Tapa making
3. Beat the
strips flat to
make wide
strips – feta’aki.
4. Everyone
joins in the tapa
beating over
many days.
Tapa making
6. The fun starts with
smoothing on the glue
paste made from cassava.
5. They are rolled up to dry.
Pasting the feta’aki
Tapa making
When it is dry and flat as a large mat, a
pattern is painted using vegetable dyes.
Uses for tapa-ngatu
Today tapa is used for weddings
and funerals.
Tourists buy tapa-ngatu to use
back home.
Tapa is used for
dancing costumes.
See on the next page.
Lisa has made a dancing costume
It has tapa, shells and pine needles.
Look at the handwork
on the dance costume
Making mats from pandanus leaves
People also make mats. The mats are made from the dried
leaves of the pandanus plant.
Mats are an important tradition in Tonga.
Caritas is helping to support mat weaving.
Thank you!
Malo Aupito!
Theme for Lent 2013
Tongan
Tau pau’iho’otui’
Talaki loto to’a
Mo’ui fiefia.
English
Follow faithfully the way
Tell courageously the
truth
Live joyfully the life.
Acknowledgements
We thanks to all those who agreed to have their
photo taken.
Photography by Emily Benefield and Leo Duce,
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand staff.
www.caritas.org.nz
2013