Tonga prepares for cylone season ^Featured

It was a celebration that brought together the homeowners the Taufa family, project partners the Kingdom of Tonga, Tonga Development Bank and Caritas Tonga.

Manukau East MP Jenny Salesa launched the Habitat for Humanity's 100 Homes Campaign in Otara in July.

Although this might be the first one for Tonga, it is the 57th in Habitat's Pacific programme.

She has been involved with Habitat for a while now as an advisor and says it's "fantastic to see such immediate results before cyclone season really kicks in, in November".

"This house has been built as part of Habitat for Humanity's 100 Homes Campaign, which I launched in Otara in July."

The Tongan Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Solaveni joined in the celebrations says he is, "very grateful indeed to Habitat for Humanity New Zealand, Caritas Tonga, NEMO and the support from the Tonga Development Bank, in orchestrating this huge effort to implement this pilot project for the communities of Popua and Halaovave, including this house for the Taufa family".

"This is a major step forward in developing resilience and addressing poverty," he states.

These houses are life-saving, storm-resistant and affordable for families in the Pacific islands says Salesa.

"Cyclone Winston highlighted for me that getting Habitat for Humanity into Tonga to provide affordable, cyclone-resistant homes to ordinary people there, was imperative," she notes.

The company has also built cyclone-resilient homes in Fiji and Samoa.

The chief operating officer at Habitat NZ, Alan Thorp says that alongside "our commitment to addressing housing needs in New Zealand, the NZ team also has a commitment to preparing Pasifika communities with stronger and safer homes".

With the memory of Tropical Cyclones Winston and Evan still raw, he says the "time to act is now, before disaster strikes".

Habitat still needs volunteers to help build homes in Samoa. Spots are open for work in November 2016 and in February and March 2017.

- Stuff