AN URGENT BID TO HELP THE CHILDREN OF TONGA

New Zealand chef Robert Oliver MNZM is joining forces with UNICEF Aotearoa for a moneycan’t-buy charity auction for Tonga.

The To Tonga With Love auction kicks off on Trade Me on March 11. It includes a costume worn by Academy Award winning actress Marisa Tomei in the latest Spider-Man film, a private banquet and opera evening with performers including Pene Pati of SOL3 MIO and a $30,000 home solar power system installed by Tongan-born ex-All Black Charles Riechelmann, amongst other auction items.

Two months on from the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcanic eruption which triggered a tsunami, children and families are still reeling from the devastating impacts.

“We cannot forget Tonga. After a disaster of this scale, we know that the complex needs of communities are ongoing and require significant support. This has literally rocked their world and everything in it,” says Robert Oliver.

“To Tonga With Love was created as a message of support to the children and families of Tonga whose lives have been impacted. My friends and I have a shared vision to help our neighbouring whānau in Tonga and show them that we’re in this for the long haul. We are calling on Aotearoa to get behind us by bidding on this life-changing auction.”

The South Pacific is close to Oliver’s heart. The chef, author and TV presenter was raised in Fiji and Samoa and has spent a lot of time in Tonga as part of his mission to promote local, healthy food in the pacific.

All proceeds from the charity auction will go to UNICEF Aotearoa’s appeal for Tonga, which is supporting communities to build back better. This includes helping strengthen household sanitation and hygiene, and providing psychological support to help children recover from the trauma.

Other To Tonga With Love auction items include a personalised felted item from Kiwi comedian Chris Parker, a cooking course at state-of-the-art Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand, a FaceTime with top chef Sid Sahrawat of the renowned Sid at The French Café, a keynote address from Robert Oliver at your event and two tickets to Peta Mathias' Supper Cub dinner series.

UNICEF Pacific Representative Jonathan Veitch says children are particularly vulnerable after crises.

“Many children still need help processing the trauma from the volcanic eruption and UNICEF and partners are supporting on-going psychological first aid. Recreational kits distributed recently to Tongatapu island are giving children the opportunity to play again, and another 41 will be shipped to Ha’apai schools as soon as inter-island boat operations resume,” says Veitch.

The start to the new school year was delayed due to the damage to schools and ash blanketing the country. In much of the country, schools have still not reopened due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns, which further increases the need for psychological first aid for children across the country.

“The eruption and tsunami were sudden, and the ramifications will be felt for months and potentially years to come. Now in collaboration with communities, the Government of Tonga and partners, UNICEF is helping communities to build back and strengthen sanitation and hygiene services,” adds Veitch.

UNICEF Aotearoa CEO Michelle Sharp says the charity is extremely grateful to Robert Oliver and his friends for their generous support.

“Supporting children, families and communities in Tonga would not have been possible without generous supporters and partners from around Aotearoa.”

“Funds raised from the To Tonga With Love charity auction will help us reach children living in remote islands like Ha’apai and Eua to return to normal life rapidly with more resilient communities for the future,” says Sharp.

The To Tonga With Love charity auction will be live on the UNICEF Aotearoa Trade Me store on Friday March 11. Auction items will be live for 10 days.