MFF Director meets Tongatapu 6 Town Officers and Tauhi Kolo
Date: Tuesday, 10th March 2020
Time: 5:30pm
Place: Hofoa Free Weslyan Hall
The MFF Director, Mrs. Betty Blake was welcomed yesterday by the Minister of MEIDECC, Hon. Poasi Tei and his Town Officers from the 14 villages of Tongatapu 6 Constituency as well as women representatives from each village.
The purpose of this meeting was a request from the Honorable Minister to the MFF Director to give a formal speech introducing the work of the Ma’a Fafine mo e Famili Inc. through the Tonga Social Service Program especial the Aged Care for the Elderly.
The program started with a prayer led by the Hofoa Town Officer, Mr. ‘Aliki Kanongata’a.
After the prayer, Mr. Taueli Taulango the Chairperson of the Tongatapu 6 Council welcomed Mrs. Blake to the meeting and invited her to deliver her speech.
According to Mr. Taulango’s welcoming speech, he said that the Tongatapu 6 Council usually conducts quarterly meetings. At the meeting we attended, was the Honorable Minister, Poasi Tei, the Chairperson and the Town Officers and Tauhi Kolo of the 14 villages under the Tongatapu 6 Constituency.
The Town Officers and Tauhi Kolo were very impressed with Mrs. Blake’s explanations of the reality of the work undertake by the MFF especially the Care Givers who are being allocated to serve the elderlies both here on Tongatapu and Ha’apai.
Hon. Poasi Tei in response, confirmed the wonderful service of the MFF and the Care Givers as he explained that the last 3 years of his late father, were peaceful and comfortable because of the work of the care givers. Further, he said he was lucky to be included in this program.
He said, “My father always looked forward to his Care Giver’s visiting time and he was very happy. Even though we, the children, were sometimes busy with our daily work and other priorities and tend to forget to spend quality time with our father, but the Care Giver were always there to talk to him, to do his washing, cooking, cleaning and I am very grateful for your service.”
Hon. Poasi Tei has requested 10 elderly from his constituency to be under the Aged Care for the Elderly, however, due to the limited numbers given by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to the MFF, he will discuss it further with his village council.
Tongatapu 6 constituency has its own program in which they usually visit their aged people on special occasions such as Christmas with gifts and donations. Hon. Poasi Tei advised Mrs. Blake that in his constituency, they have 200 elderlies, but they will give the chance to those who are in most need of age care. He also confirmed that he will look into it with his Cabinet, a proposal to upgrade the wages of the Care Givers from $5.00 per hour and the numbers of elderlies to be increased from 200 as the demands is very high.
For further information, Mr. Sione Maka from the Tongatapu 6 Constituency office can be reached at this telephone number: 25-007.
OR
MFF ph 25991 and talk to any of our staff to help you out.
The MFF Director, Mrs. Betty Blake and Hon. Poasi Tei, Representative of the Tongatapu 6 Constituency and Minister for MEIDECC.
Betty Blake continued discusses with Hon. Poasi Tei his needs to increase the number of his elderlies to be allocated into the care of the MFF.
From Left: Hofoa Town Officer ‘Alisi Kanongata’a, Betty Blake and Hon. Poasi Tei.
Ma'a Fafine Moe Famili, Inc. (MFF) 