Trip to 'Atata Sept 5

We are trying to improve the nutrition of the people in Tonga. One way to do so is to provide wire for them to build chicken coops and raise chickens. Huni is our champion. He explains the project to the people. They then build the coops. They have a choice to get chickens from the minister of livestock, but then have to purchase feed as these chickens require a different diet, or capture wild chickens and raise them in the coops. The Tongan chickens will eat scraps. Most are choosing the second option. 

We hired a boat to take us and the wire to 'Atata, about an hours ride. Luckily the weather was good and we sailed in our little boat across the great blue sea. No dock so we had to wade onto shore. The men (4 of them) had to carry 22 rolls of chicken wire onto shore. We then walked about a quarter to half mile to the house where the meeting with the women was held. After Huni explained the program, we handed over the wire. The ladies will now build the coops and capture the wild chickens. They will have eggs and meat for protein in their diet. 

This village has also inquired about keyhole gardens so we will probably be going back with Tevita, our garden champion with this project. The people build the gardens, Tevita shows them how to build the keyhole garden and then Tevita brings seedlings to plant.

Please see the sidebar for a link to a remarkable story about Brother Huni, fisherman for the poor.

Huni is our champion on the chicken project

The men had to carry 22 rolls of chicken wire to shore

Boy playing as we walked to our meeting

Women with branch president in plaid shirt

Pigs are everywhere

Boys helping carry the wire inside the house until the building begins

We had to wait for the tide to come in to lift the boat off the bottom so we could go home.