Australian Volunteers International is an important part of the Tonga-Australia development partnership. Register your interest in becoming an Australian Volunteer.
Case study: Giving back in Tonga
Australian volunteer Sosefina Fineanganofo drew on her Tongan heritage and extensive hospitality teaching experience to support the 'Ahopanilolo Technical Institute (ATI), helping expand education and employment pathways for young people in Tonga.
ATI provides high-quality education and practical life skills, with a focus on low-income Tongans and young people who have left school. Sosefina began volunteering remotely, reviewing the institute's Hospitality Accommodation Services Programme. Her assignment was extended twice as she worked with ATI to upgrade the curriculum and provide advice to the Tonga National Qualifications and Accreditation Board.
The revised Accommodation Services Programme has since become a popular option for school leavers interested in hospitality careers. Sosefina then took on a further assignment as a curriculum developer for a labour mobility pathway initiative. The program prepares Tongans seeking overseas work in areas including seasonal fruit picking, tourism, hospitality and aged care.
The first training of its kind in Tonga, the program will be piloted by ATI before being offered elsewhere in the Pacific. Sosefina's assignment was extended so she could add units in Tongan and strengthen guidance on cultural issues for prospective workers. After completing the remote assignments, she travelled to Tonga as an in-country trainer and mentor, teaching the program she had helped develop.
"I was keen to take part in volunteering as a way of giving back to my country of birth," Sosefina said. "Having spent 10 years of my career teaching hospitality, I felt my skills and experience were worth sharing with the youth of Tonga."
Sosefina valued the support provided by ATI and the Australian Volunteers Program in delivering her assignment. For her, the greatest reward has been delivering in person the modules she helped create. "Teaching and sharing onsite is so rewarding," she said. "I will definitely do it again."
Case study: Strengthening food security in Tonga
In Tonga, climate change is intensifying the challenges facing agriculture and food security. Severe droughts and the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption and tsunami disrupted production, with ash damaging horticultural crops including watermelons.
Nishi Trading, one of Tonga's largest agricultural exporters, is responding to these pressures while supporting smallholder farmers, creating jobs and connecting local producers to overseas markets. Through the Australian Volunteers Program, Australian agronomist Hans Porada worked alongside Managing Director Minoru Nishi Jnr for nearly two years to strengthen agricultural production and climate resilience.
Drawing on their shared passion for farming, Hans and Minoru improved crop management, collaborated with Tonga's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests, and worked with local farmers and non-government organisations to promote good agricultural practices. Together, they produced more than 100 tonnes each of onions and potatoes, 300 tonnes of pumpkins, and one of Tonga's strongest taro crops.
The partnership also helped Nishi Trading respond to farmers' priorities. After farmers identified irrigation as their greatest need, Nishi Trading trialled an irrigation system and organic fertiliser on watermelon crops. The trials delivered significant improvements, and Hans supported six smallholder farmers to establish their own systems to help maintain production during El Niño conditions.
Minoru said Hans's guidance enabled Nishi Trading to take a more strategic approach to crop selection and climate risks. By transferring practical knowledge to staff and farmers, the assignment has strengthened local capability to improve production in the years ahead.
"The continuing impact of climate change means we need to work together," Minoru said. "If the community succeeds, the planet succeeds."
How to apply
More information, including applicant eligibility criteria can be found on the Australian Volunteers website.