To support those impacted by the aftermath of the volcanic eruption and resulting tsunami which has rocked the Pacific and left many families across Tonga displaced, we've committed $20,000 in funding to our Footprints partner Plan International Australia.
The funding will enable Plan International to provide immediate assistance to affected communities in the Pacific, including providing access to water, fuel, food, hygiene, and dignity kits. Working alongside local community partners, the funding will also assist Plan International in their long-term recovery efforts.
While the disaster has impacted the entire Tongan community overseas, the impact can be felt here too. Many of nib’s international members working in Australia are experiencing feelings of distress, unable to contact home due to damaged communication channels.
Hearing these concerns, we reached out to our partners at Lifeline Australia to see how we could help. The response has been incredible, with Lifeline developing a dedicated mental health support hub, in English and Tongan that our Pacific members and the Tongan community can access at any time for support.
The hub includes their 'Getting through a natural disaster' toolkit, information on their 24/7 crisis support service, content to help the community cope and links to other mental health services. By providing these tailored resources in-language and via one resource hub, we hope those impacted will feel supported to manage their health and wellbeing during this period.
We’re also proud of our nib employees who are getting behind the cause, so far raising $2,965 for Plan International, which we'll be matching dollar for dollar bringing the total to nearly $6,000.
To find out more about Plan International and how they're supporting the Tongan community, visit their
If you need support:
Lifeline support (English)
Lifeline support (Tongan)
*Image copyright of planet.com
