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Servare et Manere Tonga Humanitarian Aid

Symbolic handing over of the #slovakiafortonga public fundraiser

Canberra, September 2, 2022. His Excellency Mr. Tomáš Ferko, Slovak Ambassador to Australia met Her Royal Highness, Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mataʻaho Napua-o-kalani Tukuʻaho, Tongan High Commissioner to Australia at the ground of Slovak Embassy in Canberra. Her Royal Highness personally received a symbolic check, which represented the proceeds of the #slovakiafortonga public fundraiser. Princess is a member of the House of Tupou and sole daughter of His Majesty Tupou VI, King of Tonga.

In Servare et Manere we were deeply affected by the natural disaster that struck the Kingdom of Tonga in mid-January this year. The eruption of a submarine volcano caused tsunami waves that caused great economic damage and affected the lives of ordinary Tongan residents. Tonga was the most affected country. Thanks to the Tree of Peace, Servare et Manere has partners and friends in the Kingdom and for this reason we decided to provide humanitarian aid to the country through the #slovakiafortonga public fundraiser. Servare et Manere collected funds in a transparent account from February 2022 until the end of May 2022. We decided to dedicate the financial proceeds of our aid to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga, our partner.

Servare et Manere Tonga Humanitarian Aid Slovakia for Tonga

Meanwhile, thanks to our friends from the Diocese, the very first Tree of Peace of the Oceania was planted on April 28, 2022 in Neiafu at Vava’u islands. This place was visited in 1911 by Slovak astronomer Štefánik. Slovak Post (Slovenská pošta) also issued two commemorative postmarks on the occasion of the 111th Anniversary of Milan Rastislav Štefánik’s astronomical observations at Tonga. Postmarks were available at the Žilina 1 and Divina village Post offices and were valid only this one day.

During our big expedition to Oceania in June 2022, it was not possible to visit our friends. We intended to deliver the proceeds of our public collection in person and at the same time visit the planted tree in Neiafu. So we planned a meeting with the High Commissioner of Tonga in Australia, which did not happen. Thanks to the Slovak Embassy in Australia, it was possible to give the entire project an excellent ending. On Friday, September 2, 2022, Her Royal Highness, Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mataʻaho Napua-o-kalani Tukuʻaho, visited Slovak Ambassador Tomáš Ferko, who ceremoniously presented her with a symbolic check worth 2,500 Tongan paʻanga (which is about € 1,060) on behalf of Servare et Manere.

Servare et Manere Tonga Humanitarian Aid Princess Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho





Author of text / messages: Marek Sobola
Source of the photo: Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Canberra and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Source of text: Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Canberra / Servare et Manere