Teachers help tsunami-hit school

HELPING HANDS: Bream Bay Kindergarten students ‘‘fly’’ around their teachers, from left, Mandy Taylor, Anne Gilmour and Tania Shine, who will soon be winging their way to Tonga to help rebuild a small island community.

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Last year's destructive Pacific tsunami hit too close to home for a Whangarei community which has rallied in support of a small Tongan island.

The magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck south of Samoa on September 30, unleashing a deadly tsunami on Samoa, American Samoa, and northern Tonga.

At the time Bream Bay Kindergarten had a child attending who was from a Tongan island 300km north of Vava'u called Niuatoputapu.

The island has a population of about 1000 and was almost completely destroyed by the tsunami.

Six months on Niuatoputapu is only just starting to rebuild, with power restored, but the local school is still in ruins.

For Bream Bay Kindergarten staff Mandy Taylor, Anne Gilmour and Tania Shine the disaster reminded them how vulnerable seaside communities like theirs are. That motivated them to lend a hand.

Mrs Shine says three waves hit the small island. Locals say the third was bigger than the coconut trees.

"If something like that happened here, I hope someone would help us."

As part of the Northland Kindergarten Association, Bream Bay has the opportunity to apply for scholarships. It did and has been awarded a team building scholarship of $5000, which will pay for airfares for the three teachers to travel to Niuatoputapu, where they will help the community, share knowledge and give much-needed items including blankets and stationery.

The association has helped the team further by raising $5000 through the Northland Kids Expo, held in October 2009, and the team at the kindergarten has been busy fundraising for the trip through cake sales, raffles and sponsorship. But they still need more to help pay for additional supplies.

The teachers' journey to Tonga begins on April 2, where the Tongan Navy will be waiting to take them and their resources on the two-day journey to Niuatoputapu.

The local community has arranged a traditional welcome and festivities, accommodation, meals and visits to local villages and schools.

The team will be involved, not in the construction of the school, but rather in restocking and re-establishing the classroom equipment.

The 30 children who attend the kindergarten have all been involved in the fundraising and have been learning about Tonga and what has happened.

The aim is to build a long-term relationship with the school.

- © Fairfax NZ News