Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mata'aho Napua 'Okalani Tuku'aho attended as the Guest of Honour for the inauguration of new and reconstructed facilities at Government Primary School 'Eueiki.

25th September 2025
On 23rd September 2025, Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu
Mata'aho Napua 'Okalani Tuku'aho attended as the Guest of Honour for the inauguration of
new and reconstructed facilities at Government Primary School 'Eueiki. The occasion marked
a major milestone for the school and the wider community, as it celebrated the official
opening of upgraded classrooms, staff housing, and a wash facility.
The construction involved the construction of a new 2 classroom block, a new staff quarter, a
WASH facility and all new facilities provided with accessibility ramps. In addition, the
existing classroom block was retrofitted to improve its safety and durability. The total value
of the construction reached TOP$860,500, with the work carried out by Masila Construction
Limited.
These construction works are part of the Tonga Safe and Resilient Schools Project (TSRSP),
a program led by the Ministry of Education and Training with funding from the World Bank
and Australian Aid. The project is designed to strengthen the education sector by enhancing
the safety and resilience of school facilities, improving data-driven education management,
and ensuring the ability to respond quickly to emergencies.
The TSRSP focuses on building resilience and strengthening of school building to better
withstand natural disaster. Government Primary School of `Eueiki is one of the eleven
tsunami schools included in this effort. Beyond these the program also extends to more than
forty risked based schools across Tongatapu, Ha`apai Vava`u and the two Niuas.
During the ceremony, Mr. Hepeti Takeifanga, Director for Primary Education, served as the
Master of Ceremony.
Ms. Natalia Latu, World Bank Liaison Officer, presented the background of the project on
behalf of the Ministry of Education and Training and the donor partners. In her remarks, she
emphasized that the program is more than just building infrastructure it is a long-term
investment in the safety and wellbeing of Tonga's students and teachers. She noted that these
new and resilient buildings replace many that were destroyed not only by the 2022 Hunga
Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption but also by Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018.
The new buildings are specifically designed to be stronger, more durable, and better able to
withstand natural disasters such as cyclones and earthquakes. This ensures that schools can
continue to provide safe learning environments, even in the face of future challenges.
The ceremony was also attended by Australia's Acting High Commissioner to Tonga, Ms.
Alison Gow, who joined in celebrating the opening of GPS 'Eueiki. Her presence underscored
Australia's commitment to supporting Tonga's education sector through the partnership with
the World Bank in funding these critical infrastructure improvements.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TONGA SAFE AND RESILIENT SCHOOLS PROJECT

Project Management Unit (PMU) TSRSP Project :Phone: +676 7400939 Address: Head Office, MET, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Mr. 'Isikeli Oko, Chief Executive Officer, who
expressed gratitude to the Guest of Honour for attending the inauguration. He highlighted that
the design of the new facilities reflects `Eueiki's geographical vulnerability, ensuring that the
buildings are both safe and resilient. He also thanked the school's principal, teachers, and
students for their patience during the delays caused by the Hunga Tonga Hunga Haʻapai
eruption. Despite the challenges, he said, the community never gave up hope, and the
completion of the project stands as proof of that perseverance.