The school was blessed with presence of the Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to the Pacific Nereo Penalver Garcia to mark the arrival of the “Taha Pe” a 7m fibre class doubled hulled vaka better known as the kalia to support the Day Skipper & Traditional Voyaging Program.
St. Andrew’s High School has received a significant boost to its educational and community programs with the generous donation of the gift, presented this week by the European Union to enhance the DSTV program within the school’s vocational studies in its mission of peace and prosperity. The development of opportunities and the preservation of our sacred skill of navigating the oceans as was done by our Tongan ancestors.
The ‘Taha Pe’ was given together with a mould that will allow students and the program to duplicate a sister kalia to Taha Pe within the next year. The construction of the Taha Pe was done in Fiji where trainers for the construction of Vaka was key participated in its first hand training.
Facilitators for the production of a second Kalia which included in the DSTV program will be done by trainers Dr. Filipe Tohi, Luísa Tevi, and Jeremy Koloamatangi.
“This generous gift opens the door for our students to engage more deeply with the ocean, which is such an important part of our culture, livelihood, and identity,” the chairman of the Board. “We are thankful to the European Union for investing in the education and wellbeing of our young people.”
The DSTV program is most blessed to have such experienced facilitators with likes of Captain Áunofo Funaki, Captain Meesi and Luísa Tevi who are not only trained trainers in navigation but have multiple journeys in Kalia’s around the region.
Malo e ‘ofa on behalf of the school and students.
