HIPPY Project

Home Improvement for Parents and Preschool Youngsters

Children naturally engage in exploration, play, and learning from their first and most important teachers -- their parents. The HIPPY home-based preschool education program helps parents acquire new knowledge, confidence, and skills which enhances their capacity to teach as well as the child’s ability to learn. The parents and children love learning together.

HIPPY program provides critical English training to village children during the formative years, 3-5 years old.  Tonga Ministry of Education limits English language training in the early years of school.  As a result, many children are failing to achieve the necessary level of English proficiency to progress through the school system, particularly post-secondary education.  We work with Hippy International who have 40 years of experience providing  support to underprivileged families throughout the world.

Sia Uhila Angilau

"HIPPY is blessing so many families in Tonga. Mothers now see that the saying ‘parents should be the first teachersʻ can literally mean they are teachers. We also have a few fathers who are teaching youngsters. They are blessed because they have the means to teach, their children are learning so much in very little time, they are prioritizing their children’s education more and they get to be the first to complement their child. Many of them tell me how their kids would wake them up early in the morning so they can have "school" already. It’s an exciting time for parents and it is truly building a closer relationship between a parent and the child." – Sia Uhila Angilau (HIPPY Tonga Coordinator) 

Lita Fonokalafi

"For the first time, I am paying our electricity bill! That never happened! I feel like HIPPY is not only helping me to grow professionally, but it is also helping my family because I get to have a say at home now because I help pay the bills. My husband respects me more and I am already planning on going for further education with HIPPY because thereʻs so much out there I can do. HIPPY has helped me to see that. Thank you." -   Lita Fonokalafi (HIPPY Tutor)

Paea Pailate and children

"I’m the kind of parent who tells their child to stay from school if they go to school every day. Haha. Because I feel that their brains will hurt so much from too much schooling. My husband is the same. But with HIPPY, things are changing. I am improving my English; my child is learning so much. I didn’t know I can teach him and he’ll know the shapes, the colors, how to spell his name. I am reading to him and I am supporting the older kids too. That makes us happy so thank you HIPPY." - Paea Pailate (HIPPY Mother)

The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.  -   Maria Montessori

Exercise in the Park

Popua

Tonga is fighting diabetes and other noncommunicable disease. One of the key areas that increases the risk of NCD is lack of physical exercise. Ministry of Health is promoting good health including encouraging physical activity.

Health Promotion built a footpath along the waterfront to encourage walking and aerobic exercise, and have installed four outdoor exercise stations, 2 west of the Palace and 2 east of the Palace.

Health Promotions asked LDS Charities to fund stations in the new park at Popua.






Popua is an impoverished area of Tongatapu. Many people there do not have transportation to go somewhere else for exercise, as such Popua is a good choice for installation of the outdoor exercise equipment.

These stations will provide a place for wholesome activities for the impoverished youth of Popua; it will help them build strong bodies and combat obesity and diabetes.

The stations were completed last Thursday. Monday we went to the park after work to find three boys working out. Left to right, they are Sau Kitesurfing, Tali Teu, and Ika Foilole.

Ika told me he has been working out morning and afternoon each day starting last Friday. He has been telling his friends about the new exercise stations and many are beginning to come and use the equipment.

Atele College

A second exercise station was placed at Atele College. Many competitions are held at this location so this station will have much use.

 

 

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will involve the patient in the proper use of food, fresh air, and exercise.”                     Thomas Edison

Ploughing for the Poor

An ongoing project we have been doing has been to plough for those who cannot afford to do it themselves. It must be a community group and they must not be able to pay themselves as recommended by the bishop and town officer.

Hired tractor at Veitongo .. slashing

 
When the community is further from Liahona Farm (where the LDS tractor is), we need to hire a tractor driver. The people are asked to contribute. If they cannot pay anything, we can provide the first time, after which they are instructed to save a portion of the money they earn on the crop for the next planting. We will then decrease the amount we pay ... maybe the group will be helped 3 times, then they should be able to do their own ploughing through managing the money from selling crop. Sometimes some of the group can afford to pay a certain amount, and that helps with their contribution.

At communities closer to Liahona, the Farm tractor can be used. We ask the community to pay for the fuel. LDS Chairities then helps the Farm with repairs of their tractor and for oil. This is the preferred way.

After Cyclone Gita, we helped the government with a ploughing project. The Kingdom was worried about a food shortage of local root crops a few months out from the cyclone. When we heard of the need for help, we said we would be happy to be a part of this government program. Liahona Farm tractor ploughed the qualified fields which were near Liahona as recommended by the town officers. This is one way we were able to help the farmers after Cyclone Gita. Those helped needed to have had homes damaged in the cyclone and ready to begin planting immediately. We were able to help many with this project, and the government was appreciative of our contribution.

Elder Murdock first helped repair the 'Eua tractor in 2015

The post Cyclone project was done not only on Tongatapu but also on 'Eua which also was affected by Gita.

The tractor on 'Eua is quite old and we have purchased parts for it to keep it running. This tractor was first aided by Elder Murdoch about 4 years ago. When Elder Murdoch first saw the tractor he was worried it would be able to operate, but it was restored and has been working and helping the communities on 'Eua.

Each community decides what crops to plant on the fields ploughed. When they seek assistance, we ask what crops they will be planting. Taro, manioke, and watermelon have been planted.

Young taro coming up

Taro further along

Manioke starts planted at left, growing tall above

Watermelon is a fast-growing cash crop

Liahona tractor