Toys for Tonga - smiles abound

Toys 4 Tonga is a great example of how an international project involving three Rotary Clubs can be achieved without costing an arm and a leg.  In the end it cost almost no money at all, as pretty much everything including shipping was donated.

The concept was simple: gather up a container load of toys, school books and stationery, and ship it up to Tonga for distribution to needy children in the impoverished Pacific Island kingdom.

The Rotary Club of Wellington South spearheaded the project with able assistance from nearby Tawa Rotary.  Leaflets (sponsored by a Rotarian and several businesses) were distributed around the area, and collection boxes set up at supermarkets, libraries, schools, churches, and community centres. Club members adopted a box and were responsible for clearing them regularly, storing the merchandise at a Club member's warehouse.

The goods were sorted over three weekends by different groups of club members, great fellowship as baking for the afternoon tea became a contest! Thanks to the right contacts through a Rotarian at another  Wellington club, the New Zealand Navy agreed to ship the toys at no cost.
 

A local trucking company took the boxes to the Navy's base near

Auckland

, and a courier company took care of all the paperwork - all at no cost!

We'd successfully applied for a District Grant through the Rotary Foundation, but in the end had so few expenses that along with the boxes we were able to send $2000 in cash for the Rotary Club of Nuku'alofa to buy more school supplies locally.

Rotarian Monty Arnott travelled to Tonga to observe and help with the distribution which took less than 90 minutes when community groups were invited to come and help themselves!

It made a big impression on Monty on his first visit to Tonga.   "You had to be present to witness the pleasure on the faces of the children and the gratitude expressed by the adults.  This project brought home to me the invaluable work we do as Rotarians for those much less fortunate than us. "

Submitted by: Jim Greenhough, Rotary Club of Wellington South, District 9940